One Big Happy Family
by lvncastle
Summary: Because how could you NOT want to write after reading spoilers for 5x10. Based on spoilers for 5x10: Meredith AND Kate staying at the loft... let the hilarity ensue. **In-Progress** Chapter 11 coming soon!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N – This is my first time writing, much less publishing any sort of fanfiction. I welcome reviews with positive feedback or constructive criticism. **

**Contains spoilers for 5x10 – I read the spoilers and couldn't NOT write my version.**

**Disclaimer: Riiiiight. If I owned Castle I would not have yelled "Holy CRAP!" nearly so many times as I did watching "Probable Cause" on Monday…. And Tuesday… and Wednesday…**

Chapter 1

"How's she doing?" She looked with concern at his reflection in the mirror as she continued removing her make-up, preparing for bed.

Castle leaned against the door jam. "She's okay. Exhausted, but I'm relieved that it's nothing too serious. She kinda freaked me out there for a minute."

Kate put down the toothbrush she was holding and turned to face him with a sardonically raised eyebrow. "'Kinda', Castle? Really? That's what you're going with. You made a mother hen look like a neglectful parent."

"What?! She's still my little girl, and… well, that was scary as hell!" He slid further into the room and leaned a hip against the granite surface of the vanity.

Kate's gazed softened as she dropped all pretense of teasing. It _had_ been a harrowing couple of days, starting off with the call the previous morning from Alexis' roommate, frantic that Alexis had collapsed on the floor of their dorm room and was burning up with fever. They had met the ambulance at the hospital, fearing for the teenager's health, Castle a frantic mess, pacing and asking rapid fire questions of every hospital employee he encountered.

Kate made quick work of brushing her teeth, finishing readying herself for bed by plaiting her hair into a sloppy braid. "Well, at least we know that it's just mono. I had it in high school, and it sucked, but she should be able to bounce back pretty quickly as long as she takes it easy for a while."

It was Castle's turn to shoot a look at Kate. "We're obviously not talking about the same girl. The whole reason she was brought to the hospital and kept overnight was because she completely ignored any sign that she was getting sick, determined to 'power through' and drove herself into complete exhaustion. She just doesn't know when to quit."

Kate chuckled. "Yeah, I have _no_ idea where she gets that."

Castle gave her a wan smile and sighed, "Kate, I'm serious. I'm thrilled that she's consented to stay here at the loft for a while until she recovers a bit more, but I'm worried about when she goes back. How can I not, when I know that she pushes herself to the point of neglecting her health?"

She padded over to him, gently wrapping him in a hug, her head tucked beneath his chin. "Sorry. I know it's hard, but Alexis has to learn her own limitations, especially living on her own, and she has to do that her own way. She'll make mistakes, just like this, and she'll learn from them. And you _have_ to let her." She felt him open his mouth to protest, so she lifted her head and covered his mouth with her own, softly, effectively distracting him from whatever over-protective notion he was readying. She hummed contentedly, and snuggled back in against his chest. "So how are _you_ feeling?"

Castle wrapped his arms around her securely and sighed wearily. "Like I just had several years taken off my life."

Kate leaned back in his arms to look up at him with a playful smile. "Castle, if that's all it takes to shave years off your life, then given all the life-threatening situations we've been through, your days are _seriously_ numbered."

"Kate Beckett, are you calling me old?"

Twining her slender arms around his neck and adopting an innocent expression, Kate replied, "Not at all!" Rising up on tiptoe, pressing her t-shirt clad body against his larger frame, her eyes betrayed a look that was decidedly… _not_ innocent. "I'm simply saying that given the facts at hand… you might not have much time left… and perhaps we should… make the most of it," her pauses punctuated by the feather-light kisses her lips were glancing along his jaw.

Castle grinned broadly, his exhaustion forgotten for the moment. "Not much time, huh?" He ran his hands slowly up and down, fingers tripping along her ribcage, drawing the t-shirt she'd 'borrowed' from him up to reveal tiny, lace-edged, plum-colored panties. He pressed open-mouth kisses along the veins in her neck, her head lolling back to grant him better access. Her breath hitched as his tongue darted out to taste the hollow of her collarbone. "And what sort of ideas did you have to keep me from frittering away my few remaining days?" He murmured the words against the rapidly heating skin of her chest.

"I –" Her eyes fluttered shut as she attempted to collect her thoughts. His thumbs brushed the outer curves of her breasts lazily. _Shit. _There had to be a law against how quickly he turned her into an incoherent idiot. _Focus. _She lifted her eyes to his to gaze at him with hooded lids, "Dirty ones, Castle. So very, very filthy…"

With a growl, Castle swooped down, capturing her lips with a tangle of tongues and a clashing of teeth. He swept his left hand down her leg, drawing her knee up to wrap around his hip. Her lower half undulated against his, pressing her heat against the evidence of his arousal. His questing hand roamed back up her muscled thigh to the lacy scrap of nothing separating him from where she needed him most, his broad fingers darting beneath to tease her wet passage.

She gasped, tightened her grip on his neck and the back of his skull where she anchored his lips to hers and jumped, wrapping both legs around his waist. He gladly caught her ass in his palms, continuing to use his fingertips to drive her mad with need. She pulled out of their passionate kiss to gasp, "Castle. Bed. Now!"

Castle spun in the direction of the bedroom, but the stress, worry and lack of sleep of the last 48 hours had taken its toll. He stumbled, nearly dropping Kate, who uttered a very un-Beckett-like squeal, and moved to stand independently. The writer righted himself quickly, and held on to her thighs firmly. His voice rumbled in her ear. "Oh, no you don't. You're not escaping that easily. I was promised filthy Beckett, and I mean to have her. Now." She threw back her head and gave a throaty, sexy laugh. _My_ _God, she will be the death of me… and I don't even care._

He passed through the doorway to the bedroom, and immediately stiffened in shock, hands releasing Kate quickly and suddenly. Only just managing to keep from falling hard on her ass, Kate glared at Castle furiously. "What the _hell_, Castle?!"

"Well, Richard, I didn't expect you to have… company!"

Kate whirled with a gasp to find herself staring at a very haughty, very nearly naked Meredith.

**Thoughts? Yours are welcome and appreciated!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N – Wow! Thanks **_**so much**_** to all who alerted, favorite and taken the time to review! It's so very encouraging to a new author, and I now know why I've seen fanfic authors describe reviews as crack… because they SO are!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, no matter how much I wish I did. Except for the mistakes… those are all mine!**

Chapter 2

Kate's jaw dropped in shock at the sight before her. Her scrambled brain taking in flashes of images, trying to process through the haze of lust that had so threatened to overtake her just moments before but was now dissipating as rapidly as it had begun. Skimpy white boy short panties. Matching satin bra under slender, folded arms. Perfectly coiffed red hair. Pouty, red-painted lips curving into a faintly amused smile.

"Well, well, well, Richard. Mixing business with pleasure yet again, I see." She shook her head condescendingly. "I thought you learned your lesson the last time."

Kate's jaw moved soundlessly up and down, any attempt at speech thwarted by the shock of seeing the scantily clad woman in front of her. Kate Beckett does not surprise easily. Or at least, she's become accustomed to being surprised. Perhaps it's cynicism born of the job: prime suspects with unlikely, unassailable alibis, suspects popping out of nowhere with wielding weapons, murderers who 'would never hurt a fly.' But it takes a lot to truly shock her. Natalie Rhodes questioning Castle's sexuality, finding Castle beneath a half-naked reporter. But this, finding his ex-wife, in her underwear, _in his bedroom,_ as they were about to… she shuddered. _This takes the cake_, she thought.

Castle recovered first. He quickly swept around Kate, grabbing Meredith by the arm, propelling her quickly over the threshold of the master bedroom and into his study. Having her in his room, especially dressed (or undressed) as she was felt so very wrong. Even if Kate hadn't been in the room, it would have felt like a violation, an invasion into the sanctuary that they made their own every time they came together there. _But Kate _was_ there. God, this is a disaster. _ He shook himself from his thoughts to address his smiling ex-wife.

Wait, _smiling_? "Meredith, what the _hell_ is going on? Why are you here? Dressed like _that_? And how did you even get in?" Castle released her arm abruptly, running his hands through his tousled hair. The hair mussed by the fingers of one Kate Beckett only moments before. A very hot, wet Kate. Who promised to do any manner of dirty things- _No. Later. Focus, Castle_. Hmm… the voice inside his head sounded a lot like Kate.

Meredith sidled up to him, a sultry smile on her lips, reaching out to brush his chest with her manicured fingers. Castle sprung backward as if burned, smacking his shoulder on the wall.

Meredith pouted prettily, adopting an indignant stance with her hands on her hips. She painted a surprisingly imposing figure, given her state of undress and her slight figure. "Richard, _really_. I should think the answers to be completely obvious!"

Castle stared her down. "Well, you're going to have to help me out here, Meredith, because I fail to see the reason that you have come into our home, unannounced and uninvited, I might add, coming into my bedroom wearing-" he paused, his voice having risen in a crescendo with every syllable. "God, Meredith, _seriously_?!"

Meredith's eyebrows rose dramatically. "_'Our home'_, Richard? Is she _living_ here?!" her shrill voice breeching the night-time quiet of the loft.

"What? No! No, she's not, but she's- Look, that's beside the point. The _point_ is-"

Meredith breathed a sigh of relief, her smile once again appearing on her face. "Oh, good. I thought for a moment there that you might be serious about her! I have been looking forward to revising our Top Ten for quite some ti-"

"_Meredith!_" he bellowed.

Meredith blinked rapidly. "Kitten, there's really no need to shout! Now, as I was saying, if you just want to tell your little detective in there that she can show herself out, we can-"

_Serenity now,_ he thought to himself. He interrupted her, grasping her biceps with his large hands. He bent his knees so that their eyes were level and began speaking slowly, as though to a child, "Meredith. Listen to me. We," he paused and gestured between them, "are over. Not gonna happen."

Meredith threw up her hands dramatically to dislodge his from her arms. She whirled around and began to stalk out of the study toward the foyer. "Oh, psssh. Fine. Suit yourself. Enjoy your little fling. I'll just make myself at home in the guest room."

"I- Wha- Bu- You-" He padded after her, his sleep deprived brain trying valiantly to keep up with her rapidly changing line of thinking. "Guest room?! _Why_?!" He rubbed his red-rimmed, scratchy eyes, desperately hoping that when he reopened them that his life would once again be righted and traveling along on its even keel.

She gathered her long coat and discarded clothes along with her small carry-on bag. She turned halfway around to glance back at him, a truly puzzled expression settling over her pretty features. "Yes, of course! Alexis is _ill_, Richard! You don't expect me to just leave her in her time of need, do you? As _if_ I could enjoy Europe knowing that she was back here feeling so poorly!" The look on her face slid from puzzled to wounded in an instant.

He shook his head to clear his thoughts. "No, of course I didn't think you were going to traipse off to Europe without Alexis. But I thought since we _called_ you _yesterday_ to tell you that Alexis came down with mono and wouldn't be able to go that you would, I dunno… stay in LA."

"Richard, really. I'm hurt that you would think that I wouldn't want to be here when our baby girl is so sick! Whatever gave you that impression?"

Castle lifted an eyebrow. "Oh, I don't know… it could have something to do with you trotting off to film in New Zealand when Alexis was two and had the chicken pox. Or when she was seven and had to get her tonsils out, but you were too busy with your spots on "According to Jim" to make it back here. Or the time-"

Meredith held up her hand to stop him. "Okay, okay. So there might have been once or twice when I haven't been as present for her as I could have been." She shot him a look at his derisive snort. "But I have time off work, my flight was already booked, and… well, she's sick and I'm sure she would benefit from the calming presence of her mother. Don't you think?"

Castle tried not to choke at the idea of Meredith being a 'calming presence.' But she did have a point… she _was_ Alexis' mother and while she hadn't been there for past illnesses and injuries, but she was here now, and who was he to deprive his daughter of her mother's presence? But the guest room… _yeah, that needs to be nixed straight awa-_

"Richard, won't you be a dear and bring my bags up to my room? They're _so_ heavy, and I've had _such_ a long day!" she called, already halfway up the steps to the second floor.

Castle hung his head in defeat, then heaved a heavy sigh, picking up both of Meredith's tremendously heavy suitcases and started toward the stairs, trailing in the wake of the hurricane that was his ex-wife. _Morning_, he thought wearily, _I'll send her to a hotel in the morning._ He just hoped that this wasn't going to come back to bite him in the ass.

**A/N - I was a little nervous about this chapter. "Always Buy Retail" is one of my favorite episodes, Darby Stanfield (Meredith) being one of my favorite guest stars. I really wanted to capture her and her 'voice' in this, and I hope I succeeded. Any feedback on this would be appreciated!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thanks to all who have reviewed and alerted! Those notifications seriously make my day!**

**Disclaimer: Nope. Still lay no claim, but those that do are brilliant, aren't they? Have you seen the sneak peeks for 5x06? Can't. stop. laughing! **

Chapter 3

Kate's eyes dazedly followed the pair as Castle steered Meredith quickly toward the study. She finally snapped her jaw resolutely closed, and made her way slowly over to the bed, sinking down on its edge, still facing the doorway through which they strode moments before. She could hear murmurings of conversation floating through the open space, and she wondered what was happening.

_What __**was**__ happening_? What in the world was Meredith doing in his room? She flashed back to the last time she knew Meredith had visited. Castle deemed her_… _what? Ahh, yes. _Deep-fried Twinkie_. She shook her head as she recalled the conversation she had with Castle about why he continued to sleep with his crazy ex. A small smile appeared on her face as she realized just how much he's changed since then. She was startled out of her musings by the sound of Castle's voice escalating from the study.

"-come into our home, unannounced and uninvited, I might add, coming into my bedroom wearing- God, Meredith, _seriously_?!"

_Wait… did he just say "our home"? _Kate froze. Her eyes widened at the implications of the statement. She took a deep breath and shook her head to clear it. _No, he meant his and Alexis' home. _The thought calmed her racing heart; she was 'all in' and she loved him, but she wasn't quite ready to think of combining households, no matter how much sense it made. As it was, she had been nervous about staying with Castle that week while her apartment was being fumigated. As he so logically pointed out, they'd been spending most nights together anyway, and it was silly for her to pay for a hotel room if she would be at Castle's anyway. And as it turned out, it would work out well since Alexis was ill, and she would be able to help him keep things running at the loft while he cared for her and found time to write. She was still a little concerned that it would send him the wrong message… imply that she was ready to move in when she really wasn't… was she? She sighed and mentally placed that particular question into a tightly sealed box to be examined later when she wasn't so utterly enveloped in all things Castle.

Their voices trailed off as she heard Meredith's heels striking the floor as she left the study.

"Thank _God_." Hopefully Castle would be able to get rid of her quickly, and they can get back to their… evening activities. A far different smile formed on her lips as she began to concoct a plan for wiping his mind of any visions of that damn intrusive Deep-fried Twinkie…

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Castle was trudging into the kitchen, clumsily grabbing a glass and a bottle of scotch before he realized that he had left Kate, his girlfriend… his very turned on girlfriend… his very turned on, completely traumatized girlfriend… without a word, with her standing in his bedroom while he dealt with Meredith. He winced. _Dammit_. _Not good. _He poured a second glass for good measure and made his way quickly back through the study to the door of the master suite.

He slowed as he approached the open doorway, mentally cataloguing the items available for inflicting bodily harm, weighing his chances at escaping the encounter unscathed; he was infinitely grateful that her gun was safely tucked away in his safe for the night. All things considered, this was _not_ going to go well for him. He cautiously peered around the corner of the door jam.

His eyebrows rose in surprise to find Kate sitting propped against the headboard with her well-worn copy of _Heat Wave_ in her hands. He fully entered the room, and she looked up when she heard him cross the threshold. Her only concession to acknowledging the incredibly awkward and surprising situation they had found themselves in a mere fifteen minutes before was a single elevated brow. _Yeah, this is going to be SO much less fun than what Kate had planned._ He took a split second to mourn the hot, dirtiness that he was supposed to be engaging in, and sent up a quick prayer to the sex gods above that they could eventually pick up where they left off. _Don't count on it, Big Rick_. He groaned softly. The voice in his head sounded _exactly_ like Kate and was further crushing his hopes of saving any semblance of their evening.

"I'm sorry. I'm SOOO sorry, Kate."

"Castle, how did she even get IN here? Does she still have a key?!"

"NO! No, Kate, she hasn't had a key in years. Not since Alexis has been old enough to carry her own. She probably managed to talk the doorman into letting her up like she did the last time. I told them they're not supposed to let her up, but I think I remember that new guy being on shift when we came up, and he likely didn't know."

Kate rolled her eyes. Good Lord, the woman could teach a master's class in the art of eye rolling. "Didn't you once tell me that this was one of the most secure buildings in the city? Yeah, notsomuch."

Castle sighed. "Meredith can be very… persuasive. Particularly with men."

"Ugh, Castle!" Kate shuddered with distaste. "I _definitely_ do not need that information."

Castle winced and settled himself gingerly at the end of the bed. "Sorry, sorry. For the record, her method of persuasion doesn't work on me anymore."

Kate's features relaxed. She placed her bookmark to keep her place, and set the book on what had become 'her' nightstand. She rose up on her knees and crawled across the fluffy comforter closer to where he was resting. "Mmm, really? And why is that?"

Castle handed her one of the glasses he was holding, and wrapped his free hand around her waist, drawing her flush against his side. "Because I am completely smitten with a gorgeous brunette who also happens to carry a gun and can easily kick my ass… and I happen to be really fond of breathing."

Kate leaned in close, placing her lips just next to the shell of his ear and whispered, "Oh yeah? Just breathing?" Her warm breath evoked a shudder than ran through his body. He grinned… maybe the evening wouldn't be a lost cause after all!

"Ooooh, there are one or two things that I'm equally fond of." He turned his head and sipped the aged scotch from the tumbler he held. "I'm pretty fond of this scotch," he teased, his grin growing wider.

Kate brushed her lips along his jaw, peppering his jaw and then his neck with soft, open-mouthed kisses. "Mmm, the scotch? That's the first thing that came to mind?"

Castle fought to keep his breathing even. Kate's free hand trailed slowly from his shoulder, down his chest, lower, searching for the heated skin of his abdomen. Castle inhaled a shaky breath and raised his glass to take another gulp of the alcohol. Kate's hand traveled lower, and he inhaled sharply. "Y-yes, one should always appreciate a good scotch."

She leaned back, and took a draught of the amber liquid. "Mmm… you're right. This _is_ very good." She carefully leaned over the edge of the bed and placed her glass on the floor, then turned to him and did the same with his. She straightened and gracefully swung her long legs over the edge of the bed, moving to stand in front of him. She slid closer, insinuating herself between his legs. He loosely wrapped his arms low around her midsection, pulling the soft t-shirt up as he did, pressing soft kisses to her muscled abdomen, swirling his tongue into the indent of her navel.

Her fingers carded through his hair as she moaned softly. She ran her fingers down over his shoulders and began toying with the buttons of his oxford shirt. He stood to meet her lips with his, their kiss deep and slow, tasting of excellent scotch and heated passion. Kate broke away from his lips to begin a heated trail down his jaw, swiping at his Adam's apple with her tongue. Castle struggled to keep his head in the haze of desire threatening to overtake him.

"I should probably go check on Alexis..."

Kate hummed against his collarbone, "In a bit." She continued to lick a path of flames down his chest when a thought occurred to her. "So why was Meredith here, anyway? You called her yesterday about Alexis. Why did she fly in if she knew they weren't going?"

"What?" His focus was seriously hampered by her wicked tongue blazing across his pectorals. "Oh, actually, she was concerned about Alexis and wanted to come stay with her while she was sick. I'd have gotten back to you sooner, but I had to carry her bags up to the guest room."

"WHAT?!" Kate's head snapped up, smacking Castle's chin hard in the process.

"Oooow, Kate!" He rubbed his sore jaw.

"What did you say?" She asked carefully, her tone softer, more menacing.

"I -" _Oh shit_. "Dammit. Okay. Kate… look. I was _going_ to tell her no. I _was_. But she was like a _ninja_! One minute she was standing in front of me, and then the next she was at the top of the stairs telling me to bring up her suitcases!"

"A ninja?! Seriously, Castle? You **brought her suitcases up**? Sounds closer to a Jedi mind trick to me…"

Castle's face lit up. "YEAH! A Jed-"

"CASTLE! What in the _hell_ were you thinking? She's your ex-wife, for god's sake, and you have your _girlfriend_ living here for the week! What about that situation sounds like a recipe for success?!" Kate paced furiously in front of him.

"Kate, it's just for the night. In the morning, I will tell her that she needs to move to a hotel while she's in town. I'll pay for it. Just… don't be mad. I'm sorry I didn't kick her out tonight, but I'm so tired, and it just didn't seem worth the argument." He didn't tell her that since his brain was not quite functioning on all cylinders due to the stress and lack of sleep that if he'd attempted that conversation with Meredith and her convoluted, manipulative logic, he would likely have ended up agreeing to move out of his own loft. His eyes pleaded with hers for understanding.

Kate paused in her pacing to fold her arms over her chest, leveling her most intimidating glare in his direction. _ Damn but she is glorious in a temper._ Clad only in his t-shirt, she possessed a presence that would have hardened criminals trembling in trepidation. "She'll be gone in the morning?"

Castle exhaled the breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. "Yes, Kate. In the morning. First thing."

Kate softened her stance, looking down at the floor. "I don't know. Maybe _I_ should just get a room for the night."

The writer's eyes widened instantly, almost comically. "NO! Nononononono." He moved hurriedly to stand in front of her, using his finger to lift her chin and catch her gaze. "Kate, please. Stay. Don't let her ruin this. I get to have you for a whole week here at the loft, and it kills me that my momentary lapse in judgment would drive you away. Just stay. I'll fix this. I promise."

Kate's lips pressed into a thin line as she considered his words. He knew he had her when she began chewing on that delectable lower lip. "Okay, Castle. I'll stay. But I swear to god, if she comes in here again in her goddamn underwear, I will not be held responsible for my actions."

Castle smiled, intensely relieved. "If she comes in here in her goddamn underwear again, I'll personally go get your gun from the safe." He moved to kiss her, to pick up where they'd so abruptly left off.

She held a hand up, effectively stopping his lips in their tracks. "Cool it, _Kitten_. You're '_so tired'_, remember? Straight to bed for you." She stepped nimbly around him, heading for her side of the bed.

Castle turned, frustrated, running his fingers through his thoroughly mussed hair. "Kaaaate!" he whined. "That's what I was _trying _to do! And I thought we agreed that you wouldn't call me that!"

"To _sleep,_ Castle. And you are _damn_ lucky I'm even here; we found your ex-wife, in your bedroom, in her underwear, the surprise of which caused you to nearly drop me on my _ass_, AND she's still. freaking. here. I'd say that's a free pass to call you whatever the hell I want." She pulled back the covers, and slid into bed.

Castle heaved a heavy sigh, shaking his head, and trudged to his side of the bed. "Can we at least cuddle?" he asked, pitifully.

Kate glanced at where he stood, shoulders slumped, doing his best to look forlorn. "God, you're pathetic," she said, holding back a reluctant smile. "_Fine_. We can cuddle. But no funny business or you're on the couch. You obviously need your beauty sleep," she finished sarcastically.

A triumphant grin spread across Castle's face as he scrambled into bed, and scooted closer to Kate to wrap his arm around her slender waist and tug her back flush against his torso. She'd never admit it, but she loved cuddling just as much as he did, her body seeking his out in the night if they happened to fall asleep on their own sides of the bed.

His last thought before sleep overtook him was how glad he would be when this was all over.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

**A/N: I was originally going to split this into two chapters, but decided to just wrap it all into one, so I hope you liked it!**

**I've also had some requests for Kate to make good on her promise and make the rating M… Or maybe keep it T and publish a separate M chapter? Your thoughts on this? Or anything else for that matter? Reviews inspire writing, so the more you write, the faster the update! ;)**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Wow. The response to this story has been absolutely incredible. I can't thank you enough for all of the support that you've shown through your reviews, alerts, favorites and PMs. It truly is so very encouraging, and it makes continuing the story that much more enjoyable knowing that it's being appreciated by others! I 3 this fandom so hard!**

**I apologize for the delay in updating. I'm writing this as I go, and while the first 3 chapters seemed to write themselves, and this one… required quite a lot of wrestling. Then real life had the audacity to rear its ugly head (seriously, why do kids need to eat so often? ;)) But nevertheless, here it is! And a HUGE thanks to TheKeddster for betaing this chapter! **

**Okay, before my A/N gets to be longer than my chapter… **

**Disclaimer: I bet AWM's writing isn't interrupted by whining and bickering. Well, I don't know his writing staff… maybe he does…  
**

* * *

Chapter 4 –

**WHUMP**

_Castle felt every molecule of oxygen in his lungs leave his body as the massive, white-'diapered' sumo wrestler pinned him with his bulk on top of his own bed. The writer's eyes bugged out of his head, as he struggled without success to find the strength and the space to expand his aching lungs to catch his breath. The red-haired Asian warrior (_A red-headed sumo wrestler? What the hell?) _seemed completely oblivious to his discomfort, to even his presence beneath him. He stretched over to Beckett's side of the bed, grabbed a magazine, and began perusing the periodical, flipping through the pages, humming a tune _(How in the _world_ can a guy this huge have a voice that feminine?) _and kicking his bare feet in the air like a carefree, teenaged girl._

_As if things needed to become more convoluted and absurd, he saw movement from the corner of his eye. He twisted his head, even as he tried to dislodge the enormous being from across his chest. Kate appeared in the doorway of the room. He sagged with relief, certain that his partner would have his back and help him extricate himself from… _dammit, how the _hell_ did this happen, anyway?

_Much to his surprise, however, he saw that Kate was holding her Glock in a Weaver stance and was aiming… _Holy shit, who was she aiming at?

_He gave a strangled gasp and tried to speak to her, but he was unable to utter any sound whatsoever. His jaw worked up and down, mouth gaping like a fish, but he was aghast to find that his efforts to call out to Kate were completely ineffectual._

"_Castle, I warned you what would happen if she came in here in her goddamn underwear again!" _

What the _**hell**__?_ _Meredith couldn't hold a candle to Kate's beauty, but _**surely**_ there could be no mistaking his ex-wife for the crushing embodiment of the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man currently collapsing his chest cavity._

_Castle tried to yell, to call out to her and find out what on earth was going on, but, again, nothing escaped his lungs, his mouth. He watched as her finger pulled the trigger toward her body-_

Castle woke with a start, arms and legs jerking violently. His heart racing, he blinked, trying to orient himself in the darkness, struggling to distinguish dream from reality. Looking down at his chest, he saw Kate, fast asleep, her upper body sprawled over his. Though Kate's slight form was nothing like the bulk of that of a massive Asian warrior, he supposed it could explain a small portion of his very strange, rather disturbing dream. Very slowly, to avoid rousing his sleeping girlfriend, Castle peered over her relaxed body to her nightstand. His breath whooshed from his chest in relief at the absence of any firearm. _Can't hurt to check, right?_

He lay still for a few moments, willing his heart to stop racing. It was absolutely absurd, his dream. Completely ridiculous. He waited for his body to realize what his brain had already surmised. Closing his lids, he made a half-hearted attempt to slip back into slumber, but he knew himself well enough to know that there was no way that he was going to be able to get any more rest, at least for a while. His eyes searched out the glowing digits of the clock on his own bedside table. 2:37 AM. He released a resigned sigh, careful not to disturb the much-needed sleep of the beautiful creature currently residing on his chest. While he was loathe to risk interrupting her rest, however, he was growing restless, feeling the urge to at least go check on Alexis, reassure himself that his daughter, his little girl, was okay.

Slowly, carefully, he began to inch across the bed toward the edge. Sensing his movement, Kate stirred, and he took the opportunity to slide more quickly out from under her as she conveniently slid the opposite way off his body to rest once more on the luxurious Egyptian cotton sheets. Her slim arms stretched around his pillow, pulling it to her body, cuddling up to it and inhaling deeply through her nose. He smirked. Even her subconscious is trying to absorb every bit of him. A part of him wanted to crawl back into bed and replace the pillow in her arms, but there would be time enough for that later.

He pivoted and padded toward his study, then into the kitchen. He perused the antibiotics prescribed to Alexis, reassuring himself that she was current in all of her medications, then filled a glass with water and headed toward the stairs.

The writer soundlessly pushed the door to his daughter's room open and entered just as silently. He took a moment to just stare at the copper locks spilled over the pillow, the flawless skin of her cheek illuminated by the soft light spilling in from the hallway and marveled yet again that he had a part in bringing such a beautiful human being into the world. His brow furrowed as he took in the fragile skin beneath her eyes, appearing bruised due to the ill and exhausted state to which she'd driven herself. His frown deepened as he recalled the frantic worry that he felt as he and Kate had raced to the hospital to meet the ambulance that had transported the unconscious teen. Alexis' absence from the loft and his daily life had been a difficult pill to swallow, an adjustment to which he was still growing accustomed. However, he realized that leaving the nest was just something that 'baby birds' eventually had to do, and he had had confidence in her ability to make wise and sound decisions about her life, likely better than his own. It had soothed the worry that he knew would never completely dissipate.

Huh. _Well,_ he thought, _it would appear that her better judgment was reserved to making responsible decisions about curfew and refraining from 'borrowing' police horses while wearing-_ he halted his thoughts quickly. _Wrong. Not even gonna go there._ Although, _she seemed a little too comfortable walking around Supernovacon_… yeah, best not to let his brain go there lest he need to scrub it down with bleach. In any case, her decision-making skills in regards to her unrelenting school, study and activity schedule versus her health and well-being really warranted discussing at least. Kate was right; she needed to make her own mistakes, to make her own decisions, but as her father, he wouldn't feel right without at least attempting to be a voice of reason, no matter that it seemed a role reversal.

He kneeled at her bedside gently pressed the back of his hand to her forehead and then her cheek, just as he used to do when she was tiny and feverish, scaring the life out of him, even then. Relatively placated that her fever had not risen notably since he'd last checked on her, he flashed briefly back through moments in the last couple of days and marveled at how differently it had felt. How, even though he was overwrought with worry, it felt so amazing to not be alone in his worries, to have Kate by his side to hold his hand, rub a soothing hand over his back, and murmur reassurances in his ear as she hugged him tightly. He'd never had that with anyone, not even when he and Meredith were together.

The sleeping teenager stirred at his touch, her eyelids fluttering rapidly as she struggled against the overwhelming fatigue that was settled so firmly over her body. Her eyelids finally won, and her hazy blue eyes fought to focus and clear. "Daddy?"

His heart clenched at the name she only used when she was feeling truly awful. "Yeah, Pumpkin. I'm right here. How are you feeling?"

Groaning, she shifted to her side so she could meet his gaze more easily. "Ugh. Awful. My throat feels like I'm swallowing broken glass, I can't seem to stay warm, and it feels like there are lead weights attached to my eyelids. It's exhausting just keeping them open. But it's good to be home and in my own bed."

Castle opened his mouth to begin his speech about the importance of finding a middle ground between ambition and taking care of oneself, but then snapped his mouth closed as he took in her weary eyes and the pained set of her mouth. It was 3 am, and she needed rest more than a lecture right now. He reached out and gently smoothed her damp hair back from her forehead. "Alright, well, I won't keep you. I brought you some water, and then I'll see you in the morn-" He paused, suddenly, remembering his dream and his promise to Kate which was sure to result in a dramatic fit of epic proportions. Meredith made his mother look positively staid by comparison. He handed her the glass and cleared his throat. "So, uh… your mom showed up tonight."

Alexis jerked and made to sit up before she winced, holding her head. Her eyes were wide with surprise and then her brow crinkled as she frowned. "Mom?! Dad, you said you _called_ her! She must have been so disappointed to show up and find out I wasn't-"

"Hey, hey. Calm down. I _did_ call her. I explained the situation and that you'd have to reschedule your trip for another time. But she said that she decided to come anyway because you were sick."

Alexis' jaw dropped. "She came anyway. Because I'm sick. Okaaay…" She shook her head in disbelief, and raised the glass to her lips to sip carefully.

Castle smiled ruefully. "Yeah, she said you needed the calming presence of your mother."

The teenager coughed and choked, spraying a fine mist of water all over the bed and her father's arm. "Sorry, Dad. But, Mom? A calming presence? That's like calling Frankenstorm a gentle shower."

Her father chuckled. "Tell me about it. Even Gram has nothing on your mom."

She winced and wrinkled her nose. "Seriously, Dad. Remember when I broke my arm when I was eight and visiting during the summer?"

"Ahh, yes. Fracture-gate."

"She was in hysterics to the point that they had to _sedate_ her. I had to fill out my own paperwork. She nearly ended up admitted. In -"

"The psych ward. I know. I'm glad I was able to make it there in time. I was picturing dealing with social services, not to mention all the drama that your mother would rain down on those poor doctors and nurses."

She giggled weakly, "And then, remember, she decided that she'd been far too traumatized and needed to spend the rest week at the spa to make sure that the stress didn't show in her face? So I ended up going home early." She frowned, as if puzzling out possible explanations for her mother's odd behavior. "Are you _sure_ she's here because I'm sick?"

The writer shrugged. He'd given up trying to decipher any rhyme or reason to his ex-wife's odd behavior long ago. If she had another reason for showing up in New York, they would find out soon enough. It was far too late, and he was much too tired to let his morbid imagination run wild. "Your guess is as good as mine. I might be something of an expert on human behavior, but your mother… yeah, I don't know."

Alexis smiled wanly. "So wait, she came _here_ tonight? Why? What hotel is she staying at?"

Castle took a deep breath. "Well, Pumpkin, I guess she figured she would come straight here and see how you were doing." He cleared his throat and muttered, "And she's in the guest room."

"Oh, okay." As her father's words sunk in, Alexis' eyes bugged out comically. "DAD! Seriously?! But _**Kate**_ is staying here right now! What is she going to say?! Does she know?! Did you tell her?! What did she say?! She wasn't armed, was she?"

He smoothed his hand across her forehead. "Sweetheart, don't get yourself worked up about it. Yes, Kate knows, and it was… well, we'll just say that it was far from the most pleasant experience I've ever had. I would go so far as to say that I would rather attend _and_ clean up after one of Grams' ragers than do that again. But I don't want you to worry about that. That's my job. Your only concern right now is getting better, 'kay?"

His daughter eyed him skeptically, as if she was certain that he was going to make a complete mess of things, as if he wasn't capable of handling both of the other women currently residing in his house. He would have been offended if he hadn't been having the same doubts.

Meredith was… well, a hurricane wasn't a bad metaphor. Blustery, dramatic, creating a path of destruction in her wake. Okay, so 'destruction' was perhaps an exaggeration… he wasn't his mother's son for nothing!

And Kate? Ahh, Kate. Kate carries a gun.

* * *

**A/N – "Frankenstorm" is the nickname for Hurricane Sandy that hit the east coast just before Halloween, hitting NYC particularly hard. I hope no one was offended by my use of that… I figured since this is supposed to take place in January, enough time would have passed that it could be used with a bit more levity.**

**Oh, and if you don't get the Stay-Puft reference, run, don't walk, and find a copy of **_**Ghostbusters**_**. You can thank me later.**

**Next chapter will have an M version, for sure. As long as I can work up the guts to post it before hiding under the table…**

**Let me know your thoughts on this! I'm always looking to improve!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: This fandom never ceases to amaze me. I'm just astounded at the response to this story. It's humbling and truly inspiring. Thank you **_**all**_** for your interest and taking the time to read and review. I hadn't really realized it before starting this, but reviews really do inspire more writing! I think I've responded to everyone who permits it, and to those of you responding as guests, I really appreciate your taking the time to share your thoughts with me!**

****This is the T version of this chapter… the M version will be posted as a separate story with the appropriate rating; it will be this chapter with M material added, so if you choose not to read it, you won't miss anything. I hope to have it posted tonight, so if you want to wait, it shouldn't be *too* long, but you might want to do an author alert.**

*****I have added to this version... I ended up including more elements that could be plot-essential into the M-version, so it didn't seem fair to exclude my T-readers from it! I hope you like the revised version just as much! I apologize if it doesn't flow as well as my writing usually does, but they're T-appropriate excerpts from the other version, so if you want flow, head over to s/8714042/1/One-Big-Happy-Family-Premium-Edition  
**

**Disclaimer: Pssh… like I could write something as hilarious as "Swan Song" looks to be!**

* * *

Chapter 5

Shivering slightly, her hands smoothed slowly across the luxurious sheets, seeking, searching for that magnetic warmth that she'd come to rely on, even _need_ sometimes. Without it, her sleep was lighter, less restful. Which was ironic, since between his tendency to thrash around in bed and one or the other of them waking up to initiate… activities, her sleep was more often than not interrupted. But never before had she felt more at peace, more well-rested, more energized than in the time they'd been together.

Her eyes fluttered open, searched his side of the bed, only to find it empty. She was cuddled up with his pillow, though, and she buried her nose into its depths, his scent permeating her senses. She flopped onto her back, arms splayed over her head and let her other senses take over. She glanced over at the clock and groaned. Seriously, what was he doing up at 4:30 in the morning? She stilled, and then she heard it: the tell-tale sound of clacking keys that indicated that his creative juices were likely flowing, some scene with Nikki and Rook spilling from his fingertips and splaying in black across the electronic white canvas. She wondered if she would ever become accustomed to the fact that her favorite writer slept in her bed, did his life's work just outside the room she slept in, sometimes _in_ her bed. Never in her wildest dreams did she picture herself here. In his home. In his bed.

But then, she hadn't really done much dreaming in the last thirteen years, had she? Reality. Make it through the day. Find justice, if not for her mother than for the victims like her. Oh she'd dreamt… she smiled slowly as she recalled the explicit dreams she'd had over the last four years involving herself and a certain pain-in-the-ass shadow of hers. Because annoying as hell or not, he was also _sexy_ as hell, and the spark between them was positively dangerous in its ability to send them both up in flames. But her hopes, her aspirations… it wasn't as though she'd never had any, but they were vague, fuzzy, incomplete notions of a future at some distant point in time.

But now... Well, she generally didn't dwell on those types of thoughts for long. Her walls may be down, but she was still cautious, still needed to go slowly. Hell, she hadn't even told him how she really felt yet, though she knew that he knew. It was in every kiss, every brush of her fingertips over his body, every glance (well, when she wasn't pissed off or annoyed by some moronic stunt that he'd pulled). But words were important to him, and she was just trying to find the right moment, the right words to express herself. It seemed so essential that she do it right, that she express her feelings in just the right way with precisely the right words... probably because he'd been doing just that very thing for longer than she was willing to admit. And those dreams, the flashes that she allowed herself, or rather the snippets that appeared before she was able to stuff them into a box to be dealt with later, were anything but vague and indistinct. They were sharp, colorful, concrete, and so beautiful they hurt just looking at them. And while that scared the hell out of her, a part of her, the part that grew larger with every moment she spent at his side, in his arms, couldn't wait to open those boxes and start making those dreams part of her, _their_, reality.

She looked at the clock again and sighed in exasperation. She may have gone to bed irritated as hell at him, but... dammit, she'd been looking forward to dirty, 'distraction' sex as much as he had. She sat up and swung her legs over the side of the bed, determined to pull him from his creative haze and back to bed. She still had images of an ex-wife to wipe from his brain, and with what she had planned, they'd better get started soon. She grinned as she padded silently to the door of the study and thought about the possibilities.

* * *

She leaned a shoulder against the door frame, taking the opportunity to observe the man before her. His bare feet were propped up on his desk, his laptop resting on his thighs, fingers skittering across the keys, head tucked to his chest in concentration. She loved watching him like this, one of the few times that she could catch him unaware and do some staring of her own. It might be creepy, but she could now understand his apparent need to do the same with her. Sometimes.

"Hey."

His head snapped up, swinging around in her direction. His eyes crinkled as he a grin spread across his face. She wondered, not for the first time, why it had taken her so long to give in to this.

"Hey. Everything okay?"

She nodded. "Just… missed you, I guess." She immediately wrinkled her nose, too late realizing the ammunition she'd just given him.

He smirked, grinning wider. "Missed me, huh? Get lonely in that big bed all by yourself?"

She rolled her eyes dismissively. "Don't let it go to your head. It's just 'cuz you're like a damn furnace, and I get cold when you leave the bed."

He waggled his eyebrows. "Sure, Beckett. You just keep tellin' yourself that."

She shook her head, hiding a smile as she looked down at her feet. It was somewhat disconcerting, being so much more open and transparent than she ever had been. "So how's it going?" nodding her head toward his computer.

"Okay. Just... had to." He shrugged.

She nodded her understanding. Writing was a compulsion sometimes, and there had been more than one occasion in which he'd darted off with a garbled explanation, practically trembling with the need to record an idea or scene before it drifted from his mind as quickly as it had entered.

"So what's Nikki up to?" She had been surprised at how willing he was to share and bounce ideas off of her. Another part of this relationship that was almost ridiculously surreal. But it was thrilling to be even a small part of the creative process, to be involved in his work like he'd been involved in hers. As awestruck as it made her, though, she didn't pull any punches. If he was going to ask her, she'd told him, he'd better be prepared to hear an honest opinion. They'd had more than one argument about a plot point, character development, or police procedure in the last eight months. She nearly always won the procedural arguments ("Castle, that's complete bullshit and you know it... Irons would never allow that to go down in the precinct."), he came out on top regarding plot, more often than not, but the character dilemmas were a fairly even split. Had you asked her four years ago if she would give a damn about Nikki Heat, she would have given you directions for the shortest, most painful route to hell, but now... She really cared about these characters, especially Nikki. She was protective of both her and Rook in a way she never would have thought possible, and she fought Castle regularly, at least in aspects in which he consulted her, to make sure that the stories stayed true to those beloved characters. In truth, however, there really weren't any big disagreements in that regard. Castle loved them even more than she did, and was just as eager to continue their story as organically as possible.

He tore his gaze away from his screen at her question. "Kicking Rooks' ass." He gave her a rueful smile.

She smiled affectionately. "Oh, yeah? What'd he do now?"

Another apology shimmered in azure eyes. "He was a complete ass. Really stuck his foot in his mouth."

Kate snorted. "You say this like it's shocking."

Castle chuckled. "He really ought to invest in some better tasting shoes. Or just quit being so assholic."

Kate laughed. "Castle, you can't just make up words. Even if they are fitting." She shrugged. "Besides, Rook wouldn't be Rook if he didn't screw up and need a good ass-kicking every once in a while. Keeps Nikki limber."

The writer's eyes darkened substantially. "Limber, huh? That sounds pretty mutually beneficial. Like he should really be thanking her for the ass-kicking."

A peal of laughter escaped her mouth, and she clamped her hand over it, trying to contain the sounds in deference to his sleeping daughter. "Damn, Castle, that sounds an awful lot like Rook would thoroughly enjoy a trip to see Mistress Venom. I mean, _you_ enjoyed our little jaunt, right, _Ricky_?"

He quickly saved his work, closed the laptop with a snap, and directed a mock scowl in her direction. "Not funny, Beckett. If anyone is going to push me around, it's gonna be you, not some trussed up dominatrix in hooker heels." He frowned. "Uh, wait, that didn't quite come out right."

With a smirk, she pushed off the door frame with her shoulder, and sashayed over to his desk, hips swinging under his t-shirt. It hadn't taken him long into their relationship to realize that she was just as sexy, if not more so, dressed in his clothes than in the sheerest of lingerie. Oh, make no mistake, she was eminently gorgeous in either, but there was something about a shirt that had once lain against his skin brushing and whispering around her naked body that just made his heart beat faster and the blood drain from his head.

She came to a halt in front of his chair, insinuating herself between his knees. "You wanna be pushed around, Castle?" She lifted a long leg, and used her bare toes to push his shoulder against the back of the chair. His grin turned from amused to aroused in the span of a second, and he snagged her calf before she could return her foot to the floor. His fingertips traced a path up her calf to grip her knee, holding it still as he shifted his head to press an open-mouthed kiss to the side of her shin. His tongue darted out to flit against the silky skin of her calf, but before he could make his way further up toward her thigh, he felt Kate's fingertips gently pushing on his forehead, pulling her leg from his grasp.

"Uh, uh. That's not how this works. You just sit back and let me do the… pushing."

Castle groaned. "Ugh, c'mon … that all you got?"

She huffed, indignantly. "It's nearly 5 AM, Castle. Witticisms might not be a top priority at this hour," she placed her hands on his thighs, and leaned to place her lips next to his ear, just brushing the lobe, "but I _assure_ you… that is not _nearly _all I've got." She drew a fingertip atop his boxers up his increasing length. "Not by a _**long **_shot."

His breath hitched in his chest. "Lame, Beckett. Really-" he choked as she gripped him through the fabric, "lame."

"Hmmm…" she hummed, as she lowered herself onto her knees on the floor between his legs, "guess we're gonna have to work on that."

* * *

"Dammit! I-" he gasped, "Kate, I'm not gonna – I can't… Babe, ya gotta stop."

She suddenly stopped her ministrations and scowled at him, rising to stand before him, and placed a knee on either side of his thighs straddling his lap. With one long slender finger, she poked his chest, once again driving him back against his chair. "Do _not _call me '_babe'_," she gritted out.

He grinned, even as he tried to control his rapid breathing and racing heart. "Well, what _am_ I allowed to call you? Honey? Sweetheart? Sugar l-"

Her mouth was hot on his, tongue darting into his mouth, effectively silencing him. His hands roamed freely over her body, bunching the material of her t-shirt in his hands to give him access to her hot, silky skin.

She broke their kiss, breathing heavily, resting her forehead against his. "If you would like to continue what we started earlier tonight _at all_, I would suggest that you _shut up_ and take me to bed."

Not having to be told twice (at least in matters of the bedroom), he hooked his hands under her thighs, and hefted them both out of his chair. Her arms twined around his neck, pulling his head down while lifting herself up to meet his mouth with hers. Their tongues tangled hungrily, dancing with one another, exchanging breaths. He stumbled as he rose fully, quite possibly the result of his blood having rushed south, and he sat her heavily on his desk. She didn't seem to mind, not bothering to remove her lips from his. He stepped closer between her thighs, pulling her hips flush against his. Her sodden panties rubbed enticingly along his aroused length, one wet silky scrap of fabric all that was separating him from her core. She circled her hips, desperate for the friction that would lead her toward relieving the ache that had been building for what seemed like, and really had been, hours.

Thinking back to when they started this, her thoughts glancing briefly on what originally interrupted them, she pulled her mouth from his, long enough to gasp, "Castle. We can't- we're not… alone. Bedr-"

His mouth was on hers before she could finish the thought, picking her up again and spinning to stride toward his room, his bed. They'd already been interrupted _twice_ tonight… there was _no way_ there would be a third.

* * *

His hands were everywhere, as were hers, caressing, touching, just devouring each other with sensitive fingertips. Their journey toward bed mirrored that of a pinball: bounce of a wall here, smacking the doorjamb there, a bump and spin around the dresser, picture frames flattening with a clatter on its surface. There were murmurs of pain, a curse or two, but mostly giggles and quietly shared laughter wafting on the heated air.

They reached his bed, breathless from laughing, wrapped around each other, the world having narrowed to the two of them. Castle released Kate's legs, letting her slide down his body, nerve endings tingling, until her toes touched the surface of the bedroom floor. She looked up at him, a smile wide across her face, and he inhaled sharply, his breath stuttering.

She was absolutely breathtaking, her smile radiant with her love for him. He'd followed her around for four years, like a puppy, and in all that time, he could count on one hand how often she'd displayed a smile even close to as brilliant as the one she had bestowed on him multiple times daily since she showed up rain-drenched on his doorstep. It was a smile of pure, unadulterated happiness, radiating her love for him. He was still anticipating the day when she could utter the words that she stated so clearly with her actions, her looks steeped in subtext. He didn't _need_ the words to know how she felt, but selfishly he desperately wanted them. Words were his world, the foundation for his craft. He painted masterpieces with them, penned love letters in the form of novels with them. But he would wait patiently for Kate to 'speak his language'; he had no doubt that they would come in time, and in the meantime, he would keep his own thoughts in that vein to himself. He knew that Kate would likely see that as pressure, even if he didn't intend them that way, and she would feel compelled to say something in return. He wanted her words to be freely given, not born of obligation or a sense of impending doom, as his had been. So until that moment, he contented himself with confessing his feelings with his gaze, his hands… his mouth.

He set to work doing just that, slowing down their playful kisses, his manner almost reverent in the care that he displayed as he worked his lips over hers. Reducing their ardor to a slow burn, he set about making the evening up to her. What had started as a way to distract him from the worries brought on by his daughter's illness and hospital stay had turned into a need to make her feel special, to apologize. It physically pained him thinking that she might have felt disrespected in his home, and he felt a compulsion to make amends.

Wrapping his arms around her waist, he pulled her in close, flush with his body. Her hands rested on his chest, feeling the steady, drum of his heart, her own heart stumbling to beat in time with his. She slid her hands up to twine in the hair at the nape of his neck, tugging his head more firmly toward hers, taking control of their kiss and ramping it up a notch. His body responded in kind without his permission, his hands skidding up her ribcage until they reached her pert breasts, holding one perfect mound in each palm of his hand. Having started and stopped during their evening, she was already as taut as a tightrope, ready to break at the least bit of provocation. And he was _oh_ **_so_** ready to provoke her.

* * *

Castle hissed out a breath. _Shit. _ He was never going to last like this. And this was supposed to be about _her. _When had he lost control of the situation? _Right._ Who was he kidding? Control was a singularly elusive concept when it came to Kate. Particularly naked Kate.

She trailed her open mouth over his heated skin, across his chest and up toward his broad shoulders, her fingertips stroking a haphazard path down his ribcage sending sensations spinning, dizzying n their intensity. She planted open-mouthed kisses along his collar bone, alternatively stroking and sucking the delicate skin covering his clavicle, eventually branding him with her teeth. He inhaled sharply, and leaned back to put a bit of distance between their bodies.

He gazed into her eyes pausing their heated exploration to search the depths of her eyes with his. His brow furrowed as he made sense of what he saw.

"You're the only one here, Kate."

She started. "What?"

His gaze intensified, eyes boring into hers, searching out her soul. "You are the _only_ one. Here." He tapped his temple. "And here." he took her slender hand in his much larger one and placed it over his heart. He shrugged. "You have been for years."

He _knew_. He knew what having Meredith in his home and in their bedroom had done to her. She trusts him implicitly, knew he wasn't interested in his ex-wife, was well aware that he had no desire for any more deep-fried Twinkies, but seeing her there had brought out a primal need to claim him, to possess him, to fill him so full of her that he had no room for even a glimmer of any other woman. But as he had so often done, he knew the exact thing to say that would soothe her, calm her, reassure her. She lunged at him, lips crashing on to his, teeth clashing, tongues dueling.

* * *

He wrapped his arms around her, and she slumped, exhausted against his chest, their breathing harsh and ragged in the still darkness of the pre-dawn hours. Her breath tickled his chest, her exhales becoming smoother and more rhythmic as her muscles relaxed to a boneless state. He pressed a sleepy kiss to her chestnut locks, breathing in her scent, so grateful for her, in his bed, in his life. He murmured words of love into the strands of her hair before succumbing to the siren's pull of slumber.

**A/N: Thanks so much for reading! Your thoughts on this chapter? The story? Its direction? I love hearing your thoughts about it all!**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N – Okay, here is chapter 6… I apologize for the wait between chapters! I did post what amounts to Chapter 5 ½ as a separate story (rated M), so if that's up your alley, go check out _One Big Happy Family - Premium Edition_.**

****Along those lines, I posted Chapter 5 before I finished the M version, and by the time I finished there were elements in the M version that I really felt needed to be added to the T-version, so I went back and changed Chapter 5. It isn't until about ¾ of the way through that things are really that different, so you don't have to reread the whole thing; that being said, I hope you do because we're kind of picking up right where we left off at the *new* ending of chapter 5…**

**On a somewhat unrelated note… can we just have a moment of silence for the demise of Twinkies? I now have an irrepressible need to go out and hork a yellow, cream-filled spongy cake…**

**Disclaimer: Nope. Not even close. I wonder if Marlowe ever pauses in his writing to think, "I should really be cleaning right now…" Yeah, I didn't think so either.**

* * *

Heat. Pervading heat. Delicious warmth that cocooned her, threatened to suck her back down into oblivion again. As she reluctantly gained consciousness, she saw the bright orange glow of mid-morning through her closed, heavy lids. She sighed contentedly, remembering with a slow smile that it was Sunday, her day off, and, even better, she wasn't on call. Which meant she was free to sleep in and spend the day-

A rumbling groan vibrated her from behind, and she became aware of a large hand lazily traveling from her waist up to cup her bare breast. She hummed her pleasure, arching her spine just enough to place herself a bit more firmly in his palm. She could tell, though, by his lack of response to her cat-like stretch which placed her bottom squarely in his lap, that he was still sound asleep. Grudgingly, she opened her eyes, searching out the digital numbers on the bedside clock. _Whoa! Almost 10?!_ Kate _never_ slept that late! But then again, she had never spent all night in an uncomfortable hospital arm chair while making sure that her boyfriend didn't end up alienating the entire hospital staff in his worried quest to see about his daughter's care. She had never dealt with the stress of dealing with her boyfriend's ex-wife _staying_ in his home.

Her lips then curved into a smug, self-satisfied smile. And then there was the matter of their delicious dirtiness in the wee hours of the morning. After this many months of sharing a bed, exploring each other's bodies, it really _shouldn't_ still be this exciting, this thrilling. But it _was._ _God_, it was. And yet… she wasn't sure how something new, exciting and thrilling could be simultaneously familiar, comfortable and… safe. But it _was. _Everything.

She snuggled down a bit deeper into the nest of blankets piled atop their naked bodies, a bit closer into Castle's larger frame. She began to close her eyes again, see if she could drift back to sleep when a thought, a vague recollection flirted at the edges of her consciousness. _I love you, Kate._ But the memory that accompanied it wasn't that of a too-bright day amidst a bevy of tombstones, nor was it the emotionally charged air of her apartment. It floated in with a complement of warmth, satiation, and contentedness. Last night? Yes, she just barely recalled hearing Castle's murmured declaration just before she slipped into unconsciousness. Her eyes went wide. Oh, she knew. He'd _told_ her. On more than one occasion. But this was the first time since they'd become partners in every sense of the word. This confession was different; it wasn't coming in some desperate attempt to save her, hold her, either from death or her own destructive ambition. It came in the peace and calm following their passionate love-making; nothing desperate about it, just awe-filled and grateful. Her first instinct was to brace herself against the panic that always threatened in situations like that. More than one man had found himself in an empty bed after declaring his love to one Kate Beckett. However, she waited… and no panic came. Just an almost overwhelming sense of safety and well-being.

She shifted a little, scooting over to lie on her back, regrettably dislodging Castle's hand from where it had resided on her breast. She gazed at his features, relaxed in sleep, his mouth slack as he breathed heavily, rhythmically. He looked so much younger, so much more innocent in repose. She reached over to gently push a fallen lock of hair from his forehead. Her movements caused him to stir, his eyebrows drawing together in a slight frown as he buried his head deeper into his pillow. She sighed, smiling indulgently. Such a little boy. She could just imagine what their kids would be like: impossible to wake up, blue eyes alight with mischief, stubborn to a fault.

She froze. _Kids? With Richard Castle? And plural, as in more than one? _ Her heart began fluttering rapidly, a butterfly threatening to escape the confines of its cage within her chest. The thought was not an unpleasant one; on the contrary, it filled her with such excitement and such longing that… well, it terrified her. She inhaled deeply, her eyelids closing as she attempted to regulate her heartbeat and breathing. For the love of God, she hadn't even been able to verbalize her feelings toward him yet. _Kids?_ _Get a grip, Kate._

Well. Sleep was definitely _not_ on the table anymore; she might as well get up and get moving. It was a ridiculously late hour to be starting her day anyway. On any given day by this time, she would have gone running, showered, dressed for work, arrived at the precinct and been elbow deep in paperwork and working on her third cup of coffee.

_Mmm… coffee_. She grinned, her blood began to sing in her veins at the prospect of a healthy infusion of caffeine coming from a fabulous contradiction of tastes, bitter and sweet, with just the right amount of creaminess. Inspired by the idea, she carefully wriggled out from under Castle's heavy arm, doing her best to keep from disturbing his rest. He stirred again, using his now-free hand to grasp Kate's pillow and smoosh it up to hide his face from the daylight that grew stronger with every passing moment. Confident that he was a champion 'day sleeper' given his former forays into the lives of Manhattan's partying socialites, she pulled on her discarded shirt from the night before, and reached into a drawer to withdraw a pair of yoga pants. As she closed the drawer, she contemplated how thoroughly enmeshed her life had become with his. She'd had a drawer long before she brought her things over to stay the week at the loft. In fact, she had two drawers, a length of closet space (master bedroom _and_ coat closet because… a girl needs a selection of coats, dammit), two rows on the shoe rack, and three drawers in the master bath for make-up, toiletries and other feminine odds and ends. It had happened so slowly she hadn't really had to think about it, much less had to freak out about it. And now that she did… there was no need. This felt right. This felt just as much like home as her own apartment. More, if she was being honest with herself. She pivoted from the dresser to gaze across the room at the man sleeping so soundly under the covers, completely unaware at the weighty, significant topics currently churning in the mind of his partner. More like home because _he_ was _here._

* * *

Fingers tattooing a beat on the counter as she waited with a degree of impatience for her coffee to finish brewing, Kate idly glanced around the kitchen counter at the items littering the space. Her gaze paused on the bottle of antibiotics prescribed to _Alexis H. Castle._ She lifted the bottle to read the care instructions. _One capsule by mouth every 6 hours._ Castle had been awake before 4 am, and if she knew him, and she did, he likely ensured that Alexis had taken her medication before he began writing. She quickly did the math in her head and realized that the teenager was rapidly becoming overdue for her next dose of antibiotic.

She stood, gripping the amber bottle of medication, an internal debate in her head. She could wake Castle so that he could head upstairs and make sure his daughter took the medicine that she needed to recover, but he'd gotten precious little sleep in the last few days. Actually, in the last week, what with the case they'd just closed and his attempts to pacify Gina who was furious that he missed yet another deadline. ("Kate, I don't know _why_ she gets all pissy. Or why she even sets deadlines! I _never_ make them. This isn't new information!") And letting her miss a dose was just not an option; she might be on break from school, but the more sporadic her doses of medication, the longer it would take her to recover, and the recovery from mono could be long and arduous anyway. So, decision made, she grabbed another mug from the cabinet, filled it with filtered water and stuck it in the microwave. She rooted around in the pantry until she located the packets of herbal tea and the bear-shaped container of honey. She would've preferred to heat it in a tea in the kettle, but it was likely already past time for her to get her meds, and she only wanted to disturb the exhausted girl once.

Fidgeting as she waited for the tea to steep, she tamped down her nervousness. _God, pull it together. You face hardened criminals, you stare down guns, kick the asses of men twice your size. You can handle taking a 19 year old some tea and meds!_ But it was more than that. She and Alexis had kind of a 'live and let live' thing going. They each do their own thing; there was no animosity, but they weren't particularly close, either. They were cordial to one another, very polite, but neither had there been much bonding, either. Kate was okay with this; she and Castle were still finding their way, and she wasn't quite ready to step into the role of step-mom. Plus, Alexis _had_ a mom, however absentee she might have been. She didn't need another. Kate hoped that one day, providing things moved forward with Castle, that they could become friends. Holidays would be awkward if they continued on like polite acquaintances, and she knew that Castle would be thrilled beyond measure if two of the most important women in his life became closer. She knew that her constant presence at the hospital, the way that she ran interference with the hospital staff, cared for him while he was caring for Alexis, meant the world to him. He had thanked her, wholly unnecessarily in her opinion, repeatedly for everything she had done, but she meant it when she said that there was nowhere else she'd rather be.

She just hoped that she wouldn't be overstepping her bounds with her gesture this morning. The last thing she needed was to break the pleasant status quo they had established.

* * *

Kate knocked softly on the door to the teenager's room. Hearing no response, she frowned, contemplating her next move. She remembered her own bout with mono and how utterly exhausting just existing seemed to be; all she'd wanted to do was sleep. She hated to wake Alexis from her much-needed rest, and she hated to enter without permission, but she really did need to make sure that she took her meds. She balanced the tray with tea, water, applesauce, antibiotics and Tylenol on one hand and gently pushed the door open, poking her head into the room.

"Alexis?" she called softly.

She spied the girl sleeping soundly, curled up, looking small and fragile in the middle of her bed. She moved quietly to her bedside, gently placing the tray at on the surface of the night stand before turning her attention toward her partner's daughter. She extended a hand toward her forehead, intending to check her for fever, and froze, questioning the wisdom of her actions. _I'm not her mother_. She gave herself a small shake; she was checking to see if she was feverish, not giving her the sex talk or grounding her for being late to curfew. She gently pressed the back of her hand to first her forehead and then her cheek. She was warm but not alarmingly so, indicating that Castle had likely indeed given her a dose of medication before beginning to write.

Kate's soft touch was enough to rouse the girl from her slumber. Her eyelids fluttered open, her blue eyes struggling to focus and make sense of her surroundings. She looked up, her brow furrowing as she spied her father's girlfriend standing next to her bed. She gazed at the older woman with confusion, and croaked, "Kate? What's going on? Is dad okay? Did I get him sick?"

Kate's eyes widened. Sometimes she forgot how amazing Castle's daughter was, how she put the people she loved before her own needs and concerns. It wasn't a side she'd often been privileged enough to see. "No, no, Alexis. Your dad is fine. He's fast asleep. I thought you were likely due for another dose of your medication… unless you got up to get it yourself?"

Alexis gingerly shook her head, wincing and raising a hand to brace her temple.

"Head hurt?" Alexis closed her eyes and nodded an affirmative. "'Kay, we'll get some Tylenol in you and you can get back to sleep. Anyway, your dad was sleeping like the dead, and I hated to wake him up to do something that I could do just as easily, so… yeah. I hope you don't mind."

Alexis opened her eyes, studying the detective for a moment. "It's fine, Kate. Thank you. You've really been amazing for my dad through all of this. I know he really appreciates it." She winced and rubbed her neck. "Would you mind terribly sitting down? Looking up is really starting to make my neck hurt."

Kate startled, eyes widening. "Oh, of course! Actually, I wasn't going to stay. I don't want to keep you up, and you definitely need your rest." She busied herself with getting the appropriate pills out of their bottles.

As if on cue, the younger girl yawned. She gestured to the chair at her bedside that her father had occupied during his earlier visit. "It's okay. Really. I feel like all I've done in the last thirty-six hours is sleep. It would be nice to have a conversation for a few minutes before I pass back out again." She accepted the pills and the glass of water that Kate handed her, swallowed both pills and chased them with a drink of water. She winced as she swallowed, Kate noticed.

"Ya know, when I had mono, they had just come out with a kind of liquid pain reliever for adults. It was specifically for sore throats and worked on contact. Tasted like crap, but it was fabulous for the sore throat that came with mono. I could… pick some up for you at the drugstore later today if you want."

Alexis smiled gratefully. "That would be great, Kate. Thanks." She appeared to be weighing something in her mind, so Kate reached for the tea, offering it to her silently.

Alexis accepted it with a small smile. "It has honey in it, so hopefully that should make your throat feel better. At least for a while." When Alexis didn't respond, Kate decided to seat herself in the chair Alexis had indicated earlier and wait her out. It was obvious that she was considering her next words, and Kate didn't want her to feel rushed or pressured.

"I'm sorry," Alexis blurted.

Kate stared at her in confusion. "What? What do you have to be sorry for?"

Alexis sighed, a sigh that made her sound far older than her nineteen years. "My mom."

_Ahh._ Kate nodded in understanding. And then stopped. "Wait, I still don't get it. Why are _you_ apologizing?"

Alexis looked down at her tea, studying the swirling liquid. "Because. If I hadn't gotten sick, she wouldn't be here, invading the loft, interrupting your lives. We'd both be in Europe, out of your hair… you and Dad wouldn't have to worry about taking care of me, you-"

"Alexis," Kate interrupted. "Just… stop." She leaned over and placed a hand gently atop Alexis' paler one. "_None_ of this is your fault. You didn't _ask_ to get sick. You didn't do anything to cause it. Now, maybe you could've taken better care of yourself and gone to see a doctor before you ended up passed out on your floor and scaring your father and your roommate half to death," she leveled a pointed look at the teenager, who looked appropriately contrite, "but you didn't choose this. I could never be upset with you about any of this. You don't need to apologize."

"But my mom…"

Kate sighed. "Again, not your fault." She decided saying anything further would likely not be wise, and was _definitely_ not her place.

Alexis shot an apologetic gaze toward the detective. "Look, Kate, I'll ask her to leave. As soon as I see her, I'll make sure she leaves." She shifted her gaze back to her tea and mumbled, "I don't even know why she's here."

Kate frowned. "Alexis, you're sick. She's your mom. She wants to be here for you. It's pretty simple."

"Yeah, but that's not _my_ mom. _My_ mother sends gift certificates to the spa when someone is sick. She'll send an edible arrangement full of pineapples, even though I detest pineapples, and I'd just had my tonsils out and the acid would have been murder on my throat. She once sent a DVD of a movie she'd starred in when I had the flu because she was sure that seeing her 'in all her glory' would make me feel better. She _doesn't_ fly across the country to be at my bedside."

Kate struggled to maintain a neutral look, though inside her heart was breaking for this girl, who suddenly seemed both far older and far younger than her nineteen years. The older version was cynical, questioning her mother's motives, reasoning that she couldn't possibly be genuinely concerned for her daughter's well-being. And the younger version…

"I just – " she stopped, not meeting Kate's eyes.

"You just what, Alexis?" She ducked her head, trying to make eye contact with the redhead.

"I don't know. For a minute, when Dad told me she was here, I thought that maybe… maybe she _did_ come here for me. That she really did want to come and make sure that I was feeling better." She finally looked at Kate, and what she saw in the younger girl's eyes arrested her breath in her chest. She saw a lost little girl who desperately wanted her mother, someone to stroke her forehead and make it all better, sing her to sleep. She saw herself. And it shook her to her core. She remained silent, not trusting her voice to speak.

Alexis didn't seem to notice. "But then I realized that there was no way that was the case. Not Meredith Bennett, dedicated actress and consummate professional." She shrugged in a self-deprecating fashion. "It's no big deal. That's just Mom. I realized that a long time ago." She lost the far-off look in her eyes and met Kate's gaze, unaware of the detective's distress. "But anyway. I'm sorry she showed up and barged in on the loft. I'll make sure she leaves this afternoon."

Kate replaced her hand over Alexis' warmer one. "Alexis, you let your dad worry about your mom. _You_ just get some sleep and focus on getting better. Okay?" She rose from her seat. "Now, I put some applesauce on your tray just in case you were hungry. Do you need anything else right now? Something to read?"

Alexis yawned and shook her head. "No, I'm tired again. I can't believe I can still be tired after sleeping the better part of a day and a half, but I _am_."

Kate smiled. "Okay. Well, if you need anything, your dad is downstairs. I'm going to go for a run, but I'll be back soon. Just relax, though, okay?"

Alexis had placed her mug of tea back on the tray and was already snuggling down deeper under the covers. "M'kay. Thanks, Kate."

* * *

Kate turned her key in the lock of the door of the loft, music from her iPhone still blaring through her ear buds. She was soaked with sweat underneath her layers, her hair pulled back from her face in a messy bun, her hair and ears wrapped up in fleece ear warmer. She stepped inside the warm apartment, still in the process of cooling down, stretching her tired muscles. She headed toward the kitchen, intent on grabbing a water bottle from the fridge and relieving herself of the bottle of pain reliever she'd picked up for Alexis from the drugstore on her way home. She looked up from her feet and stopped cold.

Walking toward the study, the room connected to the master bedroom, was a red-haired vision dressed in a filmy, short, green negligee. The woman paused in the doorway to the study, turning to stare unabashedly at the tall, sweaty detective standing in her wake.

"Oh. _Detective Beckett_, right? You're still here…"

At that moment, the door to the loft opened behind Kate, the scent of Chanel No. 5 wafting through the air.

"Kaaate, darling! How is- Meredith? _What on EARTH is going on?_"

Kate closed her eyes and willed herself to wake up, because _surely_ she was only having a nightmare of the most absurd nature.

* * *

**A/N – I know, right? I was kinda pissed, too… **

**Let me know what you thought! Thanks so much for reading!**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N – Holy WOW! Over 100 reviews? You guys are amazing! Thank you so very much for your continued support of this story! Without you all, it would **_**not**_** be happening, I assure you! Writing this has been so much fun, and I'm so glad to have been able to share my first writing journey with you all! Thank you for helping me find my way!**

**A HUGE thank you to The Keddster who helped me get 'unstuck'! I hadn't realized how difficult it could be to have your heart set on getting to Point B but not be quite sure how to get there! :)  
**

**I hope everyone who celebrates had a happy Thanksgiving! And for those that didn't, I hope you had a great week anyway! :)**

**Disclaimer: Weeell… I asked for "Castle" for Christmas, but after the "Premium Edition" of Chapter 5, I may just be on the naughty list… I'll keep ya posted.**

* * *

Castle had never been an early riser. Scratch that. He had never liked _waking up_, whether it was at 6 am or noon after a late night of writing or carousing. If he _had_ to wake up, he had grown very much accustomed and attached to rolling over and finding a very warm, generally scantily clad (if clad in anything at all), and usually amorous Kate Beckett. Waking up any other way had seriously lost its appeal and was, with each passing day, becoming more unacceptable.

So when his slumberous consciousness was pierced by his mother's shrill and affronted exclamation, he was immediately transported to the days of his youth in which was somewhat regularly roused by just such a shout, most often times as a result of her discovery of whatever 'mischief' he had managed to create the previous evening. He was immediately put on alert and sprang from his bed, eyes comically wide, poised for flight, his sluggish brain frantically searching for a plausibly innocent explanation for whatever she might have found. It took him a moment before he grasped a few facts: A) He was not fifteen anymore, and_ not_, he mentally asserted, required to explain his actions to his mother. B) Kate was nowhere to be seen. Which was quickly followed by the awareness that C) he was naked. A tidal wave of memories from the previous evening came sluicing over the shore of his mind, bringing forth first a self-satisfied grin at the decadent activities that had transpired in their bed just hours earlier, then a frown as he recalled the tumultuous hours earlier in the evening, to finally an expression of horror as he realized that he had _no clue_ what in the hell had caused his mother's outburst. And given the current state of things in his home, that was a terrifying prospect.

_Fuck! _ he thought as he stumbled into the bureau to whip out a pair of flannel pants and a t-shirt, nearly slamming his fingers in the drawer in his rush to put out whatever fire had sprung up while he was blissfully sleeping the morning away. In reality, he knew that he should be reluctant to make his way out of the bedroom, for something told him that the scene that would greet him would _not_ be a pleasant one.

* * *

In any other situation, seeing Castle stumble past the doorway to the study, t-shirt bunched diagonally across his chest and shoulder as he struggled in vain to find the hole for his other arm, would have elicited a chuckle or at least an amused eye roll, but Kate couldn't bring herself to summon any such humor as she stood, arms crossed, leveling her most intimidating Beckett-glare at the _once again_ half-dressed former wife of her boyfriend standing between them.

As in any situation, Castle's eyes immediately sought Kate's. Seeing her was an instantaneous balm for the panic that gripped him, but the relief was fleeting when he saw the suppressed fury in her gaze. He followed her stare, his own eyes taking in the filmy confection covering, or more aptly described as _not_ covering, his ex-wife. To complete this waking nightmare, his eyes traveled to the third point in the triangle of females and were met with the indignant scrutiny of his mother. _Holy hell_. He'd have asked himself whether this could get any worse, but he was afraid that it just might. His eyes reverted back to the cause of all the ire swirling through the loft.

"Meredith, what the hell are you doing?"

The redhead whirled around, obviously startled by his sudden appearance behind her. She quickly composed her features, adopting an innocent expression. "Richard! I was just coming to find you!"

Martha had recovered herself enough to speak up. "And _why_ would that be, Meredith? _Please_ do give us all the pleasure of enlightening us about your… _intentions._" It was obvious by the set of her hands on her hips that she was working herself into quite a temper.

Meredith swung her head to regard the older woman, lifting her chin imperiously. "Why, Martha! How… _wonderful_ to see you," she said, flatly.

Her former mother-in-law lifted a brow disdainfully. "I _wish_ I could say the same."

Meredith huffed indignantly, carefully schooled her features and turned her attention back to Castle. "Richard, I came to ask where you kept your organic water."

_What the- _"The _what?_" Castle's brain was usually the first to make astronomical leaps in logic, but even he could not follow the line of thinking of the woman in front of him.

Meredith looked at him like his mental faculties had taken a sudden, steep decline. "Organic. Water. Where do you keep it?" She laughed. "I've looked all over your kitchen and couldn't find it anywhere. Surely, you don't expect me to believe that you drink _tap water_! All those toxins and chemicals? Ugh." She shuddered dramatically.

Castle blinked quickly a few times, attempting to process all that was happening in front of him. "_Tap water?_ Meredith. Really? What the _hell_ are you wearing? And why are you wearing it in my _kitchen_?"

Meredith looked down at her ensemble, smoothing her hands down the diaphanous fabric. She lifted her gaze back to his, wearing the same look of profound confusion. "This? It's my nighty, of course! Kitten, you know this is what I _always_ wear to bed! And why _wouldn't_ I wear this in the kitchen? Since when have you instituted a dress code for the loft?"

Martha spoke up once again from where she had moved to stand beside Kate, who seemed torn between fury and bewilderment. "Since Alexis was old enough to understand what a dignified young woman should wear. Since his mother moved in. Since he started dating the lovely woman standing here that you have so _conveniently_ ignored." With every point made, she stalked closer to the younger woman, indignation for her son, her granddaughter, and the detective she had come to care about written all over her posture.

"Dating?!" Meredith scoffed. "You can't be serious!" Her eyes met Castle's and the haughty amusement slid off her face. "Richard? Is that true? Are you dating her or just sleeping with her?"

Castle eyed her coolly. "Not that it's _any_ of your business what I do with my private life, but yes, Meredith, Kate and I have been seeing each other for several months now." He risked a glance at the current topic of conversation who hadn't moved from her spot several feet from the kitchen. He shot her an apologetic look, pleading with her to just give him a few moments. He was going to fix this. "And I think it's time that you left."

The furious tension in Martha's stance relieved just a bit at his words. "Yes, I do believe you've overstayed your welcome, my dear!" She planted a hand firmly between Meredith's shoulder blades and began to propel her toward the stairs. "And _do_ allow me to help you pack. We wouldn't want to keep you from… whatever it is that you do."

Meredith side-stepped the domineering redhead to turn back to Castle. "Leave?! But… but, Richard! You can't just make me _leave_! I- I mean- Alexis is still sick! She needs her mother!" Her eyes were blinking rapidly, wide with shock.

Castle crossed the threshold of the study to move closer to his clearly distressed ex-wife. "Yes, I _can_ make you leave. This is _my_ home! And Alexis has needed you any one of several _dozen_ times over the last decade and a half, but that's never seemed to bother you before now. And while I'm being perfectly blunt, I'm not even sure that Alexis _wants_ you here right now."

Meredith's jaw had been hanging open, tears beginning to form in her wide, blue eyes, but she snapped it shut upon hearing his last assertion. "Well, _that_ is one thing that you're wrong about, Richard Castle. Alexis _does_ want me here. She told me so herself not half an hour ago!" She lifted her chin stubbornly, even as it wobbled as she struggled to control the apparent onslaught of emotions.

Martha scoffed, "Well, if that isn't the biggest load of –"

"It's true," rasped a tired voice from above.

All four of the inhabitants of the loft swung their surprised gazes up to the top of the stairs where a pajama-clad, pale and trembling Alexis stood grasping the railing of the balcony overlooking the loft.

Everyone stood in stunned silence for a moment before Martha recovered and took control of the situation. "Richard, why don't you speak with Alexis and find out what in God's name is going on, and get that poor thing back into bed. I will expect a full explanation of all of these shenanigans just as soon as you sort that out." She turned to the sniffling woman beside her. "Meredith, for God's sake go find some clothes to wear. And _attempt_ to find some self-respect while you're at it." She turned to Kate, her expression softening. "Hey, kiddo," she said, softly. "You okay?"

Kate sucked in a deep breath. "Uhh… yeah. Yeah. Just…" she waved her hands ineffectually, struggling to find the words.

"I know the feeling, my dear. Meredith has that effect on most people. I still wonder what Richard ever saw in her…" She stopped her musings to eye the detective carefully. She put a comforting arm around her shoulders and began guiding her toward the stairs. "Come on. Let's go see if we can't get this mess sorted out."

* * *

"I'm so sorry, Dad." Alexis was once again settled in her bed, her head bowed, staring at her fingers as she plucked at a loose thread in her comforter.

Her father covered her fidgety fingers with his own. "Pumpkin, I'm not mad. I just need to understand what's going on."

His daughter raised her eyes, an apology swimming in their blue depths. "I had every intention of telling her to leave, Dad. Really, I did. It's so unfair to you and Kate to expect you to deal with her here on top of having to take care of me." Her words implied that she was well aware of the fact that Meredith required at least as much energy as caring for a sick teenager. "But when she came in to talk to me, I was still mostly asleep, and I wasn't really aware of what was going on. The last time I was awake, I had been telling Kate that I thought, just for a moment, that there was the possibility that she could really be here because she's concerned about _me_, not because of anything else, even though I know it's not likely. But when I went to sleep, I had this really weird dream about what life would've been like if Mom had stayed here in New York, had been a part of my life on a regular basis, not just random lunches in Paris, working weekends in the city, and summers in California squeezing in shopping hours around her shooting schedule." She dropped her gaze to her lap again, and continued, "And it was just so… nice. Not that you weren't an amazing dad, but…"

"But I'm not a mom. I get it. It's okay." Castle used a fingertip under her chin to tilt her head back up so that they were eye to eye. "It's okay to want that."

She blinked back tears. "So when she came in and woke me up, she explained that she was here because I was sick and asked if I wanted her to stay until I felt better, so I-"

Her eyes caught movement by the door of her room. Her grandmother and Kate were standing just outside the open door waiting for her father. The father-daughter conversation was too subdued for them to hear, but Kate saw everything she needed to know about what had happened in the young girl's eyes. It was the same look she saw in the mirror for months, years after her mother's death, the look she still saw when she woke up after dreaming of her mother. The longing for what could have been. Kate swallowed hard around the lump in her throat, stepping out of the line of sight of Alexis' room, heading for the stairs.

Castle saw the movement out of the corner of his eye as well, and looked over just in time to see his girlfriend spin around and walk away. He quickly kissed Alexis on the forehead before rising from her bedside and vaguely asking his mother to 'take care of Alexis'. He picked up his pace and headed down the stairs after the woman he loved, hoping that his crazy family, past and present, hadn't scared her away. He caught up to her just as she reached the front door. His breath caught in his throat as he tried to keep from panicking.

"Kate!"

She turned, even as she grabbed her keys and the wristlet that held her phone, ID and money from the table by the door. "Castle, I need to- I'm sorry, but I just have to get out of here for a while. I'll be back. Later." He saw that her eyes were red-rimmed, and his heart cracked under the weight of her distress.

"No, Kate, wait. _Please_ don't go. Not like this."

She heaved a heavy sigh. "Castle, it's fine. We're… fine. I just need a change of scenery for a while."

"You're _sure_ you're okay? Can we please just talk first?"

"Castle, really. Just… go deal with…" she waved her hand vaguely, gesturing behind him toward the stairs, "all of that. Your mother is practically vibrating with the need to talk to you, anyway. I'll be back in a while." She took in his anxious features and walked back toward him. "I'm _not_ running. I already did that this morning, see?" she quipped, gesturing to her attire. "But right now, I just need to get some air, clear my head a little… escape-"

"The crazy? Kate, I'll talk to Alexis. I'm sure she won't mind if Meredith stays somewhere else. I-"

"No."

"What?" Castle looked at her like she'd grown another head before a growing seed of fear entered his eye. "What do you mean, Kate?"

"I mean, don't tell Meredith to leave." She stood a bit straighter, steeling her resolve.

"But… _why_?" His face was slack with utter confusion.

"Just…" she huffed in exasperation, just anxious to get out of the loft, to get outside the building where the walls didn't feel like they were closing in on her. "I can't talk about this now, Castle. Just don't do anything yet, and we'll talk about this when I get back. Okay?" She stepped closer, lifting a hand to his jaw, cupping it in the palm of her hand. The stubble that came from two days without shaving abraded her palm, and she ran her thumb along the plump, smooth flesh of his bottom lip. His tongue darted out to taste the pad of her wandering digit, sending a bolt of need straight to her core, making her ache instantly. She stepped closer, aligning her body with his, and slid both arms around his neck, one hand slipping beneath his t-shirt to the corded muscles of his back, the other to card through his thick, brown hair. She pulled his head down to hers, pressing her lips to his, her tongue sweeping the seam of his lips seeking an invitation to enter. His lips parted willingly, his hands coming around her using pressure on her upper and lower back to press her impossibly close to his hardening body. Their tongues mated, a parry and thrust that had become so familiar yet still inspired such wonder in them both. The lower of his hands began to make its way inside the waistband of her cotton running pants, but she broke their kiss, breathing heavily, resting her forehead against his chest. They stood there for a moment, both breathless, just reveling in the closeness of the other.

Kate pulled back, and he released her reluctantly. Her lips curved in a slight, soft smile at his hangdog expression. "I'll be back in a little while." And she turned, opened the door to the loft, exiting quickly and shutting the door behind her.

Castle followed her path to the door, and leaned against it, his forehead flush with the cool surface, resisting the urge to run after her and drag her back inside his home, to his bed. _She just needs some space_, he told himself, attempting to quell the uneasiness he felt churning in his stomach. He pushed off the door, and turned back toward the loft's interior where he saw his mother waiting for him at the base of the steps, arms crossed.

"Well, Richard. Care to explain to me what _exactly_ is going on here?"

* * *

Kate breathed deeply as she stepped outside of Castle's apartment building for the second time in as many hours. She felt the frigid air enter her lungs, which had a cooling effect on the rest of her body. She no longer felt claustrophobic and was immediately struck by how awfully chilly the January air was, especially now that she was not running. She knew she wouldn't want to stay outdoors for long, but she also didn't feel ready to return to the loft and all of its inhabitants just yet.

So she did the only logical thing. She pulled out her phone, scrolled through her contacts and pressed Send.

"Lanie? Can you meet me for lunch somewhere? Good… Yeah, now. I need to talk."

* * *

**A/N – I didn't get nearly as far in the story here as I thought I would… they all had FAR more to say than they initially led me to believe! We'll get to see some girl talk next chapter, a mother/son chat, and maybe, **_**just maybe**_**, we'll see the confrontation you've all been waiting for.**

**Total sidebar - so when 'organic water' originally popped into my head, I giggled out loud at the utter absurdity of it. Imagine my surprise when I decided to Google it and found out that it really exists! ::blink, blink:: I'm probably offending my organic-loving readership; I hope not… it just seemed a bit over-the-top, which, IMO, is 100% up Meredith's alley.**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N – Totally sound like a broken record here, but you all continue to amaze me. Seriously. I could not ask for better readers or a better fandom. (I could be biased a bit, there, though…) Also, there have been several readers who have left me some very sweet reviews as guests or have disabled messages, and since I cannot respond to them via PM, I wanted to give them all a huge thank you now!**

**Okay, so Kate and Lanie got a bit long-winded. Are you seeing a trend here? I will confess that I write how I talk, so if we ever meet IRL… just get comfy because you're gonna be there a looooong time. ;)**

**Disclaimer: Still nope. 'Cuz if it were mine, we would never have a week without "Castle." NEVER!**

* * *

Chapter 8

Kate sat in the corner table at a little café, her knee bouncing impatiently under the table while her restless hands shredded a napkin on its surface. She kept an eye on the door as she waited for the ME to arrive.

It wasn't long before her best friend came pushing through the door, bringing a blast of frigid air in her wake. Kate shivered, not for the first time recognizing that her jacket and outfit were perfectly fine for running but were woefully inadequate for the current temperature when she wasn't. She should've grabbed a warmer coat at least, but that hadn't been even remotely near foremost in her mind as she'd left the loft half an hour earlier.

Lanie paused inside the door, searching for her friend and smiling widely when she identified her. She wove her way through the tightly packed tables full of patrons, her classical ballet training evident in the efficiency and grace of her movements. Kate smiled in relief at her friend, so grateful that her friend had been available to meet; she desperately needed to talk to someone well-removed from the Castle household.

"Hey, girl!"

Kate's smile widened a bit. "Hey, Lanie."

"Whew, it's _freezing_ out there!" She shrugged out of her black pea coat, and slung it and her purse over the back of her chair before sliding into it. She carefully observed her friend's appearance. "So why are you dressed like it's just a brisk fall afternoon? You're going to get frost-bitten like that! Has all that Castle sex managed to scramble your brain and caused you to take leave of your senses?" She held up a hand as Kate opened her mouth to speak. "Wait. No. I don't wanna know." She squinted in thought for a moment before grinning and leaning forward. "Okay, I lied. I do. But only enough that I'm not going to blush beet red when I find myself meeting the man's eyes next over a dead body. I'll take the broad strokes, though. Can't fault a girl for living vicariously."

Kate chuckled softly. "Vicariously? I thought you and Javi had that covered."

Lanie rolled her eyes. "Girl, I told you what the score was with that. Three words: _Occasional. _Booty_. _Call_._" She ticked off the points with her fingers. "My bed is empty, cold, and _far_ too wide most nights." Pausing in her response, she peered into Kate's eyes, unsure of exactly what it was she saw there, but knowing it was more than just the cold. "What's going on, Kate? What happened with Castle?"

Kate laughed ruefully. "Wow, is it that obvious?"

"Maybe not for someone without my keen powers of observation." Lanie raised her eyebrows, smirking and leveling a stare at her friend. "You're not the only one with mad deductive skills. You're staying with him for the week since you can't be at your place, and there's very little besides Castle and all things related that could put you out of sorts enough that you'd venture out in this kind of weather with barely enough on to keep your skinny butt from turning into a popsicle. So spill it. What happened?" Her shrewd chocolate brown eyes narrowed. "Do we need to sic Javi and Kevin on him? 'Cuz they could always rough him up and still leave him capable of… functioning."

Kate dropped her forehead to her hands that rested on the table, her voice muffled against the gleaming wood. "No, it's nothing like that. Ugh, Lanie. I don't even know where to start."

Lanie leaned back in her seat, making herself comfortable and signaling to the waitress that they'd like to order drinks. "The beginning works for me."

* * *

If it hadn't been her own life that had caused it, Kate would've been rolling on the floor laughing at the look on her best friend's face after she'd finally explained all that had happened in the last three days. But it was, and the best she could manage was a mildly amused grimace.

As unflappable as Lanie typically was, her stunned expression was particularly indicative of how bizarre Kate's story sounded. She shook her head to recover from her shock. "So what happened then?"

"Well, I just had to get out of there. It was all just a bit too much to process, so I left and called you." The detective buried her head in her hands and groaned. "Ugh. This is such a disaster. I don't know whether to be pissed, confused, hurt or insulted. Or if I should just laugh because, really. Can you _get_ more absurd than all of this? It's like a bad sitcom!"

"_Girrl, _you are _way_ nicer than I could ever be. My foot would be so far up her ass by this point, she'd be tastin' the bottom of my stilettos for weeks."

"Oh, trust me, I wanted to. I _really _did. _Ugh_, you should've _seen_ the way she'd _looked_ at him, Lanie! Like she was going to… mount him right there in front of me, or something!"

"So why didn't you?! We all know you could kick her ass from here to seven Sundays. And no one would've faulted you… you'd have _obviously_ assumed home invasion, right?!"

Kate shot her a weak smile, which quickly slid off. "God, Lanie, what am I going to do?"

"Why is this even a question, Kate? Castle is totally willing to give her the boot. Even Alexis said that she said she wanted her to stay in a moment of weakness. Just go with it!"

"But that's the thing, Lanie. She may have implied that it was in a moment of weakness, but it wasn't her being weak. It was a moment of truthfulness. An unguarded moment where she let herself _believe _and _hope_. You didn't see the look in her eyes. I, of all people, couldn't ever take that away from anyone else, let alone someone like Alexis." She closed her eyes, recalling the terribly familiar look in the young girl's face, tamping down her own memories of the emotion before opening them to look at her friend again.

Lanie sat quietly, mulling over what her friend had revealed. She contemplated the conflicted expression on the other woman's face and sighed. "Okay. So you can't bring yourself to kick her out. That means you've got some decisions to make. What are you going to do, then, to make sure that _your_ week doesn't end up miserable, that she doesn't keep over-stepping? Because you _certainly_ don't deserve that. And what if you go through all this, and she's there for all the wrong reasons and Alexis ends up getting her heart broken _again_?"

Kate flopped back in her chair and took a long draught of her latte. "Damned if I know. Isn't that what you're here for?"

Lanie smirked and stabbed at her salad with her fork. "Ya know, I really think I ought to start charging by the hour. Your Castle dramas could end up earning me a _really_ early retirement." She lifted the forkful of spinach salad to her mouth and chewed thoughtfully. "So I've always wondered. Whatever happened with their marriage anyway? I mean, why'd the end up splitting?"

Kate flushed and dropped her gaze to her own salad, which she seemed to find suddenly captivating. "Uhh… actually, I don't know."

The ME's jaw dropped. "You're kidding me, right? You've been dating the guy for almost nine months, you've known him for almost five years, been partners for four of them, best friends for at least three, and did your little dance of never-ending foreplay for most of that. You mean to tell me that you have _no idea_ why his marriages failed?"

"No. I… well… it just didn't come up!"

"The man knows most of your deepest and darkest, Kate. Why is it that you don't know some of the _basics_ of his past?"

"Because he's nosy as hell and-" Her voice began to escalate, and she reddened again when she realized she'd begun to draw attention from a number of other diners. Her voice dropped to a furious whisper, "and he won't let go until he's ferreted out every tiny corner of my psyche!"

"And this is a problem?" Lanie sat, arms folded in front of her on the tabletop with her eyebrows raised.

Kate closed her eyes, massaged her temples with her fingertips, "God, you sound like my therapist. No. As much as it annoys the shit out of me at times, it's not a _problem_." She heaved a resigned sigh. "We wouldn't be where we are if he hadn't been so… persistent."

"So why haven't you responded in kind?"

Kate huffed and seemed to search for the words. "Because, Lanie… you know me. That's just not… _me_. I don't _like_ prying into other people's lives. I have to do enough of that at work." She looked down at her hands, which had begun to fidget again, twisting her napkin into tight spindles. Her voice dropped so low that Lanie needed to lean forward to hear. "Plus… I'm not sure I _want_ to know."

Puzzled, Lanie reached across the table and stilled her friend's fiddling hands. "Why wouldn't you want to know?"

Kate looked at her, worry swimming in her hazel eyes. "What if I don't like what I hear? What if it's something that would change how I look at him?"

Lanie patted the hand she was covering. "Kate, our past makes us who we are today. I _know_ you've done things in your past that you're not particularly proud of, but they were your mistakes and learning from them has helped make you the amazing woman that you are now. If you want to make a future with this man, then you need to get rid of these doubts that you have based on a past that you can only guess about. Only positive things can come of it. You either find out that you were worried over nothing, you find out that it was _something_ but not enough to change how you feel, or… you find out the truth and are able to get out before he holds your heart completely."

Kate's heart stopped. _Too late_, she realized.

"But, Honey," she said, leaning back again, "and I say this with nothing but love for ya… and only because you've obviously left your gun at home… you need to grow a pair." She grinned as her friend's eyes widened before they narrowed dangerously. "Just hear me out. You need to start being more assertive in your personal life. You are the _best_ in a career dominated by men. You don't take shit from _anyone_. But when it comes to Castle and your _emotions_, you're tentative, hesitant. Castle might be nosy, but he's also managed to breach those walls that you built so carefully and found out more from you in just that first year following you around than most people have _ever_ gotten out of you. He's managed to worm his way into places that you never wanted him to be." She paused and wrinkled her nose. "That came out dirtier than I meant it. _Any_way. I'm not saying you need to be like him, because you're two different people and you complement each other well. But I do think you need to take a page from his book." Kate rolled her eyes. "Girl, you know what I mean. His _personal_ playbook. Timid does not become you, Kate Beckett. So find where you stashed those cajones of steel I know you have packed away somewhere, and start taking an active role in your life with Castle."

Kate folded her arms over her chest, eyes still narrow, but more receptive, open. "Okay, so let's just pretend for a moment that you're right. Not saying that you _are_… but if you _were_… what do I do now?"

"Well, for starters, if that woman is going to be staying with Castle and by extension _you_, then you need to show her who's the HBIC."

"HBIC?"

"Head Bitch in Charge. It's Castle's house, but you know damn well that she's going to try to act like she owns the place, and from what Alexis has told me, that woman rides roughshod over anyone who doesn't stand up to her. If you don't lay down the law now, it's only going to get worse in the future. And… you _do_ see a future here… right?" It was a question to which the ME already knew the answer. In the time that she and Castle had been seeing each other, she had never seen her friend happier, more peaceful or more content. Being single herself, if she didn't love her so much, she'd hate Kate Beckett. But if anyone deserved happiness, it was the woman sitting in front of her. And she'd be damned if she was going to let her screw it up for herself.

Kate's eyes widened. She opened her mouth, but nothing came out. She sucked in a breath, released it slowly. "I- yeah. Yeah, Lanie. Definitely." She bit her lip, trying to contain the wide smile that was forming involuntarily on her face.

Her friend made no attempts to hide the triumphant grin spreading across her own face. "Thought so. Okay. So you head back to the loft, and you show her the Kate Beckett that we all know. The Kate Beckett who arrested a hot, best-selling author that she'd known for two days just because he dared get in her way. Show her the Kate that makes grown men tremble and has certain writers calling out safe words."

"Lanie!"

"I meant when you led him around by his ear! Geez, get your mind out of the gutter, girl!" She winked suggestively at Kate. "Or better yet, keep it there, go show that bitch who's boss, and then let Writer-Boy show you just how much he appreciate what an _amazingly_ wonderful girlfriend he has."

Kate grinned, feeling infinitely better than when she sat down. "I like the way you think, Lane."

* * *

**A/N – Okay, so we'll see our mother/son talk NEXT chapter. I would say that we'll see a certain highly anticipated confrontation, but with my track-record, I think I'll shut up now.**

**Your thoughts? They're **_**always**_** appreciated!**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N – This absolutely blows my Castle-lovin' mind. Seriously. Warm fuzzies all around. A little shout-out to Bones35 for being my 200****th**** review, and such a sweet one at that… but you **_**all**_** are just amazing. Thank you! And I'm still in the process of responding to each of your thoughtful reviews… please keep them coming! They're so incredibly motivating and gratifying!**

**And… still no Kate/Meredith, but then again, I also said that it wasn't likely to because my characters are like me and talk too damn much, so… yeah… one more chapter… stick with me, folks! I'll make it worth your while!**

**Disclaimer: Uh uh… 'cuz otherwise I would KNOW what was going to happen in "Secret Santa" instead of driving myself crazy with speculation and desperately trolling the internet for spoilers and sneak peeks… **

* * *

Without a word, Castle walked past his mother, heading toward his study… and his scotch. A quick glance at the clock had him groaning. It was _far_ too early to be drinking, especially given that his kid was sick. He abruptly changed directions, heading instead for the espresso maker; he figured he'd need his wits about him today, and the process of making it was familiar, comforting and a bit cathartic.

He turned to face his mother who had followed him into the kitchen and was standing on the other side of the island, eyeing him carefully. He raised his eyebrows in question, gesturing toward the machine in front of him.

His mother's look immediately became shrewd, almost calculating. "If I didn't know you better, Richard, I'd say you were stalling." She paused for dramatic effect, continuing her stare. "But since you're offering… yes, I'll take some. And be a dear and add some of that fabulous brandy while you're at it." She looked at him pointedly, eyebrows raised. "Something tells me it would be remiss of me not to."

"Really, Mother. It's barely noon." He admonished drolly, though it was really just part of their routine repartee. Without waiting for her retort, he dutifully snagged the bottle of brandy from the liquor cabinet as he prepared their drinks.

"Oh, don't you start with me. I know you well enough to know that if the clock hands were positioned differently, you would be heading straight for the scotch. Not that I'd blame you, given the mess you seem to have gotten yourself into. And don't' let your latent conservative notions stay your hand… a healthy tip of the bottle, if you please."

Handing his mother her cup of steaming coffee, prepared as requested, he took his own mug and headed for his study, his sanctuary. It was as much for comfort as it was a strategic move. If he was going to be ambushed again, at least he would know from what direction it would be coming. He threw himself into his desk chair, causing it to slide a few feet across the wood floor, though he braced his arm to keep from spilling the scalding liquid all over his lap. He recalled the last time he'd sat in this chair, less than twelve hours ago, marveling at how diametrically opposite the scenes were. Today, his stomach was clenching for an entirely different reason, though coincidentally the person responsible for the reaction was one and the same. He halted his thoughts in their tracks… no sense in reminiscing about his rendezvous with Kate when it was unlikely, and highly regrettable, that any such activities would be happening any time soon.

Martha sank down on the couch across the room, curling her legs beneath her. "So. Care to explain how your ex-wife to came to be staying in your apartment at the same time as your girlfriend?"

Castle let his mug fall to the surface of his desk before leaning his elbows on his knees and dropping his head into his hands. "God, I'm not even sure anymore," he moaned.

His mother cocked her head leveling a withering look in his direction. "Really. So you have no idea why I would enter your home to find Meredith standing in the door to your study, just outside of a bedroom that you were occupying at the time, I might add, with a furious-looking Kate staring her down, looking for all she's worth like she would have gleefully shot her between the eyes and disposed of the body. No idea at all? Because barring an out-of-body experience or amnesia, I find that hard to believe. And I should know, having acted out both such afflictions on-screen rather admirably, if the Daytime Emmy gracing my shelf is any indication."

Castle lifted his head from his hands and threw a glare in his mother's direction before heaving a dramatic sigh and sitting back to lean his head against the back of the luxurious leather chair to stare at the ceiling. "I'm serious! I have no idea how things got so far out of hand so quickly!" He didn't need to look at his mother to know that the look on her face was one of exasperated disbelief. "Okay, I _know_ how… anything having to do with Meredith is nothing if not unpredictable. I mean she showed up unannounced and made herself at home _in my bedroom_ while Kate and I were in the bathroom, thinking that we were going to -" He stopped and cautioned a glance in his _mother's_ direction. Martha was as liberal a parent as they come and he was an adult many years over, but there are just some things you don't share. "That things were going to be as they always have been when she's visited."

Martha rolled her eyes (_Dear God. Was Beckett _training_ the women in his life?) _"I've never thought that… _arrangement_ was a healthy one anyway." She took a long sip of her steaming beverage, humming contentedly as it warmed her.

"_Please_, Mother. You're one to talk. I have lost count at how many _arrangements_ there have been in your life over the years. As much as I am _dying_ to forget them."

"Yes, well, my past liaisons are not up for discussion here. The one in question of _yours,_ on the other hand, is currently changing out of a rather revealing set of lingerie that she paraded around in front of your _current_ girlfriend. Or at least one can _hope_ that that's what she's doing."

Castle shuddered visibly as he recalled the horrific scene that met his eyes as he had fled the blissful ignorance of his bedroom.

"So why on earth is she not at the Four Seasons right now, Richard? You can't tell me that you thought it was a good idea to have her _and_ Kate sleeping under the same roof."

"Of course not! I dragged Meredith out of the room with every intention of showing her the door… and that's where it gets a little hazy."

"Oh, for God's sake. Were you drunk?"

"_No!_ But I'd gotten about twelve hours of sleep all week between attempting to meet Gina's deadline, the case we were trying to close at the precinct, and then Alexis' stay at the hospital…" He shrugged. "Anyway, she insisted that she wanted to stay to care for Alexis," he said, ignoring his mother's inelegant snort, "and when I questioned her motivations, she got all teary, and then all of a sudden she was just heading up to the spare room…" He looked sheepishly at his mother, looking much like a recalcitrant little boy. "It just seemed like it would be more easily dealt with in the morning after I'd gotten some decent sleep."

"Oh for the love of-"

"Mother, you _know_ what she's like! She twists and mutilates logic until it's unrecognizable and then somehow has you nodding and agreeing with her even though you don't have a damn clue what you're agreeing to." His eyes widened in wonder. "Wow, Kate was right… she _is_ a Jedi! Although I'm not entirely certain that she's not using her powers for the Dark Side-"

"Richard!"

"Sorry. Anyway, I figured I had a much better chance at not somehow ending up signing over the loft to her and ending up homeless if I at least got some sleep before entering that particular brand of hell. But I ended up getting to sleep very late, and by the time I woke up… well, you were there to witness that disaster."

Martha shook her head, her red curls bobbing around her face as she sighed resignedly. "Did you even tell Kate that she was here?"

"Of course, I did!" he exclaimed, looking insulted.

She perused him with a critical eye. "So how is it that you have no bullet holes in your body?"

"Ha. Ha. You're hilarious," he said, his voice dripping in sarcasm as he graced her with an eye roll of his own. "She wasn't thrilled, obviously, but she calmed down when I told her that I would escort her out first thing in the morning… buuuut, I guess their first thing came before mine."

"Sooo…" The actress pinned her son with an imploring gaze. "What do you plan to do about this?"

"Well, I was all set to kick her to the curb the moment I woke up, but now Alexis has told her mother that she wants her here, which, even though it was a request uttered while ill and half-asleep, is tantamount to an engraved invitation as far as Meredith is concerned, whether Alexis really meant it or not."

At the mention of her only granddaughter, Martha's features softened, as they always did. Alexis never failed to bring out the softer side of the older woman in a way that little else could. "How's she doing? She fell asleep almost immediately after you left the room, so I didn't get a chance to speak to her." She had been out of state at a conference for dramatic theater education but had cut short her stay when her son had called her to inform her that Alexis had fallen ill. The flurry surrounding Alexis' hospital stay coupled with Martha's hastily arranged travel plans had left precious little time to give or receive frequent updates.

Castle ran a hand through his already tousled hair and then drug his palm down his face, which, along with the dark smudges under his eyes, revealed just how trying the last several days had been on the man. "She's doing okay. Like I told you yesterday morning, they were worried about possible spleen and liver damage, but the test results came in late last night that everything was within normal range, at least for having mono. So they released her with strict instructions to take two weeks off activities with constant rest, which means no classes, and another two weeks of only going part-time. Alexis being… Alexis, is insisting that she keep up with all of her studies. That has been approved as long as she does so from bed and still gets a minimum of twelve hours of sleep per day. Fortunately, they don't even start classes for another week, and then the semester will only just be starting so it shouldn't require too much of her energy to stay caught up."

Martha nodded, knowing her granddaughter was a force to be reckoned with when it came to her studies and obligations. The Rodgers family was a passionate lot, though their passions obviously lay in exceedingly varied avenues of interest. She took another sip of her coffee and seemed to hesitate before beginning again. "Soo… do you think she meant it?"

"What? About Meredith?" His mother nodded. "I don't know. She's so practical and pragmatic that it's clearly obvious to her what the logical choice should be. Meredith has never been one to play nursemaid with anyone, even Alexis. Her mother also has a horrible track record for not being there when she's needed most, which doesn't make her assertions about her presence very reassuring. And then there is the obvious difficulty of Kate staying here as well. But… there was this look in her eye when I talked with her earlier… I'm not so sure that she didn't mean it, even if she didn't mean to _say_ it. Which throws an entirely different slant on the matter."

"Darling… and I say this with the utmost love and affection for you _and_ Alexis… but you are out of your damned mind if you let that woman stay here."

Castle smirked tiredly. "No, please. Don't hold back, Mother. Tell me how you really feel."

"I'm serious, Richard. You know I always have both of your best interests at heart, and I really think that this is a recipe for disaster if she doesn't leave immediately. In regards to Alexis, I really think she'll end up getting her heart broken _yet again_. There's a reason why no one trusts what Meredith says in regards to her daughter… because she very rarely follows through with what she's said she'll do. And given her actions toward _you_ since her arrival, I am questioning her true motives for being here and her insistence on staying. And then there's Kate."

"Mother, you don't have to-"

Martha held out a hand to stop her son's speech in its tracks. "Just hear me out. You know I have repeatedly told you that I stopped being emotionally invested in your romantic relationships long ago. But I _am_ invested in _you_. And that girl is the best thing that's ever happened to you. I've never seen you happier, and the changes that you've made in your life since meeting her… well, we'll just say they've been positive ones, despite the constant worry you put me through with your adventures, or rather misadventures, with the NYPD. I know that you love that girl to distraction… and I also know that you'd never recover if you lost her. You love too completely, too deeply to come out of that unscathed. So I'm saying this as much for you as for Alexis and… well, myself… I've never made it a secret that Meredith is far from my favorite person," she waved a dismissive hand dramatically above her head, "but no matter… the fact is-"

"Kate said no."

Disoriented from interrupted in the midst of her impassioned soliloquy, his mother shook her head slightly as if to clear it. "No? Said no to what?"

Castle shrugged helplessly. "I told her before she left that I was going to ask Meredith to leave, and she said no, that I wasn't to do anything and that we'd talk when she got back."

Martha blinked, her blue eyes telegraphing her abject confusion to her son. "Why on earth…"

Castle held both of his hands up in surrender. "I may be an excellent reader of people, but if there's one thing I've learned in my lifetime of being surrounded by females… _never_ presume to know the mind of a woman fraught with emotion. And Kate was… well, yeah, fraught… when she left. So…" He shrugged again, "I guess that leaves us…"

Martha rose from her spot on the couch and headed over to the cabinet along the wall. She quickly and efficiently poured a small amount of scotch into a tumbler before striding over toward her son. She resolutely placed the glass in his hand. "It leaves us here. Have a drink. I have a feeling you're gonna need it."

* * *

**A/N – I've never had mono, and in doing some research, I thwaped myself on the forehead when I recalled that it is a **_**viral**_** infection, not bacterial, so the antibiotics that I mentioned in an earlier chapter would do absolutely no good. I may go back and fix that for the medical sticklers (and because it bothers the hell out of me now), but if you'd pretty please just ignore the inconsistency for now and pretend that they'd actually do some measure of good? Yeah? You will? Thanks. You rock.**

**And you'd rock even **_**more **_**if you'd let me know what you thought of this chapter… and **_**this**_** time I can say, proof positive, that we will see Kate and Meredith have it out. I can **_**see**_** you rubbing your hands together with glee, so I will get started on it now… **


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N – Thank you again for following this story and helping make it what it is. I'm truly grateful! I had to laugh… if I had a dollar for every review that said, "This was good, BUT… I really want to see the Kate and Meredith scene!" I'm still in the process of responding to reviews, so if I haven't gotten to yours I apologize... real life has been kicking my tail lately!  
**

**So… here's goes nothin'. I'm almost as nervous about this chapter as I was my M-chapter. I've built up to this chapter so much… I hope I did it justice!**

**Oh! And a big thanks to several reviewers who told me that Alexis could be receiving antibiotics to stave off a secondary infection or be on antivirals. I will likely go back and change it a smidge somehow just to soothe my own anal need for accuracy. :)**

**Disclaimer: If I had all those dollars, I *might* be able to buy Castle ;)**

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_You can do this. You can do this. _She repeated the mantra in her head until the words ran together, one indistinguishable from the next. _Youcandothis._ Her heart beat in time to her refrain, in time to her steps toward this confrontation that had seemed so long in coming but in reality had only been in the works for approximately eighteen hours. Perhaps it was because the specters of Castle's ex-wives seemed to pop up in her psyche from time to time.

She should have used any such appearance to start a conversation with Castle about his past marriages, the unknown being quite a factor in her insecurities about their future at times. She would talk herself off the proverbial ledge, telling herself that he'd stuck around for _four years_ on the just the _hope_ that there could be something between them. There should be no question in her mind that he was in this for the long haul… or would be if she gave him the slightest nod that she was as well. The problem was that in matters of the heart logic and reason weren't always the loudest voices clamoring for attention. Logically, she knew that Castle was the safest bet she could possibly ask for in choosing someone to keep her heart. But that was exactly what made him the scariest possibility. The part of her that was still wounded, smarting and scarred from all the times that she'd been let down, deserted by the ones she loved practically whimpered at the thought of handing it over to anyone. Though Kate had recently realized that she was in far too deeply to worry about it anymore… he'd been holding it for ages.

She remembered Lanie's hug as they parted ways just outside the café. "Just conjure Katya. You'll be fine!" They both laughed, and Lanie winked in her direction before heading back toward the morgue. Katya was what Lanie had dubbed Kate's alter ego, who generally came out to play on girls' nights out… after many, _many_ drinks. "Katya" was much like her "Beckett" persona at work, but… less professional, less inclined to censor herself. She was the leather-jacket wearing, fearless, take-no-prisoners 'devil' that came to reside on her shoulder.

Head down, hands in pockets in an attempt to stay as warm as possible and provide as small a target against the biting wind as possible, she made her way toward the loft, arguing with herself the entire way.

_What are you thinking?! This isn't any of your business. You're as much a guest in that loft as Meredith is!_

_Are you _kidding_ me?! You were _invited_ to share Castle's home for the week, longer if he had anything to say about it, and _you_ are his current girlfriend. _

_But it should really be up to Castle to say something to her. She's _his_ ex-wife, the mother of his daughter… I really don't have anything to do with it._

_Oh, my _ass_ you don't have anything to do with it! That bitch was _in your boyfriend's bedroom_ dressed in nothing but her underwear, and then tried to go in _again_ the next morning in nothing but a trashy negligee._

_That trashy negligee likely cost more than one of your paychecks._

_Shut up. Not the point. The point is she needs to be put in her goddamn place. And if Castle hasn't managed to do it by now, then it's time to take matters into your own hands._

Kate shook her head to clear her thoughts. She was starting to feel like a schizophrenic or something. _Focus, Kate. You need a game plan._ But every time she attempted to plan out in her head what she wanted to say to the other woman, she drew a complete blank. How in the _world_ was she supposed to manage this?

She slowed her steps as she approached the building looming on the corner of Broome and Crosby. The anxiety that she'd been staving off came crushing down, constricting her chest and causing her shoulders to sag. She sucked in a deep breath, attempted to slow her rapid pulse. _Come _on, _Kate. You interrogate _murderers_, hardened criminals for a living. You can_not_ let this woman intimidate you._

She walked carefully toward the entrance, hoping that one of the doormen that she knew well would be there and she could put off the inevitable for a few more moments by engaging in some small talk. Kate didn't really _do_ small talk, but she'd be willing to make the sacrifice for a few more minutes of… hell, it wasn't even peace. She was just procrastinating, which was not her usual M.O. Unfortunately, the young man opening the door was a new hire, so she simply smiled and responded politely to his perfunctory greeting. As she strode past him, she wondered whether he was the one who let Meredith talk him into letting her up and giving her a spare key and idly contemplated whether Castle had chatted with his supervisor. Not likely, given how they'd— she'd left things.

She pressed the call button for the elevator, regret filling her as the look on Castle's face before she turned to leave the loft flooded her mind. She was really looking forward to moving past her confrontation with Meredith and easing the fears and concerns that he obviously had. _If he doesn't kick your ass out for having it out with his ex-wife under his own roof without his consent._ The elevator came almost immediately, the sense of dread creeping back in like one of those ninjas that Castle was always going on about. As she stepped on and pressed the button that would take her to the loft, she secretly hoped that the elevator would break down, trapping her and delaying the showdown at least for a little bit. But the elevator shot up and before she knew it, the doors were opening to spit her out onto Castle's floor. _Dammit, was it too much to hope for a stop or two along the way? It _never_ goes this fast when we're hot and bothered and _needing_ to get into the loft! _

Kate made her way to the door and slipped her hand into her pocket to finger the rough edges of the key that Castle had left in her stocking for Christmas. He hadn't lied when he'd said he hadn't gotten her anything, he'd told her; that was the spare key, and he'd gotten a new key to replace the spare. He'd looked at her with that sly grin, so damned pleased with himself that he'd gotten around her decree not to buy her anything, giving her something big, significant without spending a dime. She'd have been irritated as hell at his deliberate loophole jumping if her stomach hadn't been invaded by a flock of butterflies, her heart doing gymnastics in her chest.

She slipped her key in the door and quietly opened it up, peeking around the door, hoping desperately that she wouldn't be waylaid before she reached her destination. She was sure she'd lose her nerve if she was detained, and she wasn't sure if she'd ever work up the gumption to do it later. She could hear the rise and fall of Martha's voice from the study, and since she didn't see Castle anywhere, she assumed he was with his mother. She was incredibly thankful that she still had her running shoes on, the rubber soles moving noiselessly across the hardwood toward the stairs. As she passed Alexis' room, she gazed at the door, imagining the girl behind it and strengthening her resolve. This needed to happen.

Kate hesitated at the open door to the guest room, unsure of how to proceed. She raised her hand to knock on the door jamb to alert the other woman of her presence, but stopped short, realizing that she had no idea what she was going to say, let alone how to begin the conversation.

"It's short." The cultured voice shattered the silence and wrenched Kate out of her own thoughts.

"I— It—… What?!" Kate's thoughts tumbled over one another like rambunctious puppies as she struggled to gain her equilibrium in the exchange. She realized that Meredith was standing in the en suite bathroom primping in front of the mirror and could see Kate at her position at the entrance to the room.

"Richard."

Kate choked. Surely his ex-wife was not referring to—

"His attention span? It's short." Meredith eyed Kate via the reflective surface, her expression clearly questioning the other woman's cognitive ability.

It was all Kate could do to keep the hysterical laughter from escaping. Trust her filthy mind (which had been plenty dirty before, but had grown exponentially so in the last several months) to go _there_ in reference to Castle. She should have known that his ex-wife, the Deep-Fried Twinkie, would know that "short" was not even remotely accurate a description of—

_Holy shit, Kate. Get your head in the game! You're standing in front of Castle's former wife thinking about his package!_

Meredith had not moved from her position in front of the vanity, methodically brushing the tangles out of her hair but never letting her eyes leave the reflection of Kate's. It seemed that the actress was attempting to intimidate by not deigning to face her 'guest'. And if there was one thing that Kate knew well, it was how to paint an imposing figure. _Well,_ _two can play at that game, my dear._

Kate took a step into the room, leaned her shoulder against the door frame, and crossed her arms. On anyone else, the pose might convey defensiveness, but on Kate Beckett, the effect was quite predatory. As if she was restraining herself from coming at the woman physically. To her credit, Meredith didn't flinch but continued running her brush through her titian locks, though it didn't appear that they needed taming.

"Having worked with the man daily for the last four and a half years, that's a trait I'm well-acquainted with, thank you. This is not news to me."

"Well, since you've been around him this long, then you are likely well-aware that his relationships do not escape the effects of his attention span. He goes through women like I go through—"

"Men?" Kate interjected, brow lifted in challenge.

Meredith's eyes widened, her jaw dropped. She whirled around, auburn hair flying, and stalked out of the bathroom toward the woman who had the nerve to insult her. "How _dare_ you!" she hissed, hairbrush pointing in Kate's direction, emphasizing her ire. "You don't _know_ me!"

"That's right. I don't. But you apparently don't know your ex-husband as well as you _think_ you do." Kate held the other woman's gaze steadily, not taking her eyes off hers for even a second. Her interrogation tactics were serving her incredibly well, because actress or no, Meredith was not accustomed to being challenged by anyone, much less another woman.

"Oh, sweetheart." The redhead adopted an expression of abject sympathy that Kate recognized as patently false and completely condescending. Her own opinion of her acting far outshone her actual ability. "You thought this was _it_, didn't you. That he was _the one_." She tsked softly, then pushed her lower lip forward slightly. "Honey-"

"Okay, first of all, call me 'Honey' or 'Sweetheart' again and you will find out why it is not necessary for me to use a gun to assault someone." Inwardly she grinned at the sputtering, shocked noises that the actress was inarticulately and unattractively spewing forth, but her poker face never faltered. "Secondly, don't you dare presume to know the nature of my relationship with Richard Castle."

Meredith flailed her hands dismissively. "Oh, _please_. I'm sure it's been a fabulous couple of weeks, but once the novelty wears off-"

"Eight months, Meredith. Castle and I have been seeing each other for eight months now."

The redhead's blue eyes widened in shock, her body frozen in the midst of a dramatic gesture. She lowered her hands slowly. "What?"

"You heard me."

"But- but that's not even possible. I haven't seen a word about it online or in the papers, and I still-" she stopped, though she'd already showed her hand. Kate Beckett was not the NYPD's best detective for nothing. Kate hesitated, knowing that with the knowledge that she had, this conversation could go two very different ways. She could unleash her inner bitch and destroy this woman before her, humiliate her and send her sniveling back to whence she'd come... Or... She could simply, but firmly put her in her place, explain exactly the situation and what she would and would not tolerate from her. The former option would be far more satisfactory, and she could practically hear her alter ego cracking her knuckles, readying herself for the kill. But... The image of a teenaged girl with the eyes of a lonely, forgotten child floated through her consciousness. Alexis. This was her mother, and she was not about to start a war with someone who would never truly be gone completely from their lives. But that didn't mean she was going to let herself, or anyone else, for that matter, be walked on any more.

"It's very possible. Rick and I have made it a point to conceal our relationship from the press. We value our privacy, and don't wish to contend with the media until it's absolutely necessary." Kate stood, hands in the pockets of her running jacket, not aggressive, but hardly friendly.

"But Alexis hasn't breathed a _word_. If things were ser—"

"Serious? Well, I can't presume to know why Alexis refrained from informing you about our relationship. I, however, refuse to justify our relationship to you. Perhaps Alexis and I are of the same mind in thinking that it's _none of your damned business_." She paused, letting the other woman absorb her words, while simultaneously weighing her next ones. She hoped she wasn't over-stepping, but- "Have you even seen her?"

"Wha- who? Alexis?" Meredith said distractedly, obviously still reeling from the revelations of a moment ago. "Of course I have. You were there when Alexis confirmed she'd asked me to stay!"

Kate gave her an epic eye roll. "I meant _since then_. Have you gone in to see her? Check to see how she's doing? Done anything more than vie for an invitation to stay that could not be refused?"

Meredith's sputtering reminded her of the ancient outboard motor in the fishing boat at her father's cabin. It would've been amusing if it wasn't so damn frustrating and so unnecessarily tragic.

Kate's pause gave Meredith time to recover. "Well, to coin a phrase, _Detective_… that's none of your damned business."

"So that's a no. That's what I thought. Do you know that she's amazing?"

"Of course-"

Kate shook her head forcefully. "There's no 'of course' about it because if you knew, you wouldn't be standing here arguing with your ex-husband's current girlfriend, but instead be in her room looking in on her, seeing if she needs anything, and just spending time with the incredible young woman that you haven't realized she's become."

Meredith's face flushed. "Now, just a minute! That is _my_ daughter you're talking about-"

"Then _act_ like it, dammit!" Kate exploded. She began to pace in front of the door. "_Be_ her mother, don't just _call_ yourself that!" She stopped abruptly, turning to face the other woman, her hazel eyes now a brilliant green lit with the fire of her anger. "_Earn_ it." She took a step forward, stopping herself from encroaching in the other woman's space too aggressively. She had to forcibly remind herself that this was not an interrogation, even if it was just as important. "Giving birth to someone doesn't make you a mother. It's being there when your daughter needs you, giving of yourself when it's inconvenient and less than glamorous." Kate leveled Meredith with a hard look, her eyes flinty as she took the measure of the woman before her. "I'm not sure if you're even capable of doing that, but I _do_ know that there's a girl in there who feels like shit, knows what kind of person you are and is _still_ hoping that you'll pull your head out of your ass and _be there for her_."

Meredith blinked rapidly, her mouth opening and closing, incapable of uttering a sound.

"So why don't you have a seat, and I'm going to tell you how things are going to go down around here." She paused, cocked her head, and waited the actress out. Meredith's jaw snapped shut, and she seemed to remind herself to breathe. Her eyes narrowed just a fraction, but she moved over to the bed and slowly sank down to perch on its edge. The break in the flow of Kate's tirade seemed to allow her to regain her faculty of speech.

"Who do you think you are? This isn't your house! You can't just—"

"I _can, _and I _will_. The only reason you're still here right now is because _I_ told Castle to let you stay." Hands on her hips, she waited to let the information sink in and could see that this was as much a shock for the redhead as anything else she'd heard from Kate. "And make no mistake about it, there's nothing I would like more at the moment than to see you move to a suite at the Ritz. But my priority here is Alexis. And she will be _your_ priority as well, while you're here. You claim that Alexis is the reason you need to be here… so prove it. _Be there_ for her." She pursed her lips, weighing her next words. "The moment that it seems that you've forgotten that reason, I will rescind my objection to your leaving. Furthermore, Castle is _not_ interested in pursuing anything with you, so you _will_ stop putting him and the rest of us into uncomfortable, embarrassing situations. Quite frankly, you're coming off as pathetic and desperate. It's beneath you. So keep your hands to yourself, keep your damn clothes on and dress like a normal human being in the common areas of the loft." And before Meredith could get in another word, Kate spun on her heel and strode through the open door. She stopped abruptly in the hallway, before turning, a softer look on her face. She leaned her shoulder gingerly against the doorframe.

"Just- look. You've… missed… a lot. Don't waste the time you're given. She's a great kid, and we never know how many tomorrows we have with the people we love." Kate worried her bottom lip before deciding to leave it at that. She pushed off the door jam and made her way toward the stairs.

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Castle still sat in his desk chair, nursing the drink his mother had poured for him, listening to her regale him with a quite obviously embellished version of a disastrous opening night for a production at her drama school. He knew she was doing her best to keep his mind of the disaster that was his life, at least at the moment. He chuckled as she recounted the opening scene where the untried lead actor had puked all over the shoes of the horrified leading lady, having gotten drunk before curtain call trying to calm his nerves.

He felt his senses heighten, and turned toward the doorway to the study. Kate stood in the doorway looking a little dazed and a lot nervous.

"I… um… I just told your ex-wife to get her head out of her ass and to keep her damn clothes on."

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**A/N – So… your thoughts? ::nervous smile::  
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**The next chapter will give us a Kate and Rick discussion... and possibly some sexy times... ya still with me?  
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